


His Only Hope

by Amada0819



Series: His Only Hope [1]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Blindness, Child Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Incest, M/M, Poor Jounouchi Katsuya, Possessive Seto Kaiba, Protective Seto Kaiba, Sick Jounouchi Katsuya, Suicide Notes, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-20
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:16:13
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 17
Words: 36,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29578074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Amada0819/pseuds/Amada0819
Summary: Everybody knew Shizuka had an illness that threatened to take her sight. What they didn't know was that it was genetic and that Jou had it as well. Only Jou knew that, choosing to spend the prize money on his sister instead of himself. Now, three years later, broke and alone, Jou's sight starts to go and an unlikely savior comes to his rescue.
Relationships: Jounouchi Katsuya | Joey Wheeler/Kaiba Seto
Series: His Only Hope [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2172975
Comments: 19
Kudos: 114





	1. Death Wish

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Blind Love](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/763668) by dillydally. 



Jounouchi groaned. His headache was getting really bad and the alarm next to him was making everything ten times worse than it was before. It was just another useless job for him, but it beat hanging around his small apartment with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company. 

_ Maybe I should do that.  _

_ I won’t be able to keep living here for long.  _

Despite all of the blonde’s attempts to be subtle, his father had somehow found out where he lived and broken in, then found Jounouchi’s hiding place and took all the blonde’s money. There was no way he’d be able to pay the rent that month and the landlord would kick him out in an instant. He didn’t want that. Jou couldn’t go back to living in his father’s place. His bruises hadn’t even healed completely yet and he’d been living apart from the man for two months. 

As he was getting dressed, the dusty calendar hung on the wall grabbed his attention. He smiled slightly as he realized that it wasn’t completely hopeless. 

_ It’s the thirteenth today.  _

_ There have been some shifts available since Wendy quit.  _

_ I could ask for those extra shifts and get enough money to cover what the old man stole.  _

_ Then, I would never be forced to leave this place.  _

* * *

“You’re late” were the first words out of his boss’s mouth when Jou entered the fast food place. He subtly glanced at the clock. Jou was actually five minutes early, but the later waiter who pointed that out to the boss got laid off on the same day for some bogus reason. Jou couldn’t risk that. This job was all he had left, no matter how pathetic that was. 

  
  


“Welcome to Cheesy Crisps! What can I get y-” Joey started, as he arrived at a table where two new customers just sat down. He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed who they were .  , then gulped audibly before continuing as if nothing happened, “What can I get you?” 

He prayed that the jerk would just order like any other customer and not make any trouble for him. He didn’t get his wish. A bitter chuckling filled the awkward silence that followed Jou’s question as Seto Kaiba smirked at him. 

“Mutt. I am surprised to see you here. I never thought you would get any job, much less one so above your level of skill.” the CEO said slowly as if Jou couldn't comprehend what he was saying. 

The blonde bit his tongue, stopping himself from lashing out at a customer. Doing that would surely cost him his job and Jou  **needed** it. The blonde forced a smile and turned towards Mokuba who was glaring at his older brother. 

“What can I get you, Mokuba?” he asked, hoping that Mokuba would order for the two brothers and save Jou the trouble of having to talk to Kaiba. Just before the younger brother could answer, Kaiba interrupted him. 

“You could get us another waiter, preferably one who can hold a tray.” 

“I am perfectly capable of doing that. I’ll show you if you tell me what you want to order.” Joey gritted out, raising his voice a bit without realizing it. His life was already going down the crapper. He didn’t need this from Kaiba, least of all today. 

“Was that disrespect I just heard?” Kaiba asked, narrowing his eyes and raising his voice much higher than Jou’s had been. People turned their heads towards them, and one of them was Jou’s boss who was coming towards the table with a furious look on his face. 

“Mister Kaiba, it’s so lovely of you to join us today. Is he causing you any problems?” Jou’s boss asked gesturing towards the blonde who was squirming under the unwanted attention. He telepathically begged Kaiba not to open his big mouth for once. He needed this job, not that moneybags would ever understand that. 

“So far, I am not impressed with your newest hire,” Kaiba said, then threw his and Mokuba’s menus at Jou without looking at the blonde, “We’ll have two burgers with a milkshake and fries for my brother, or is that too much for you to remember?” 

“He isn’t new, Mr. Kaiba. He just asked for an extra shift and got this one. If his presence is bothering you, I could change that.” the old man said, wiping the sweat off his forehead. 

_ What is with him?  _

_ Sure, Kaiba’s famous and all, but would it really matter if he lost one lousy customer?  _

  
  


“I’ll let you know,” Kaiba told him with a smirk, still refusing to look at Joey. His boss turned around and sent him a death glare though. 

“What are you still doing here? Mr. Kaiba told you his order. Why aren’t you getting it? I’ll dock your pay if that food ain’t back here within the minute.” the man spat. Jou swiftly turned and ran into the kitchen, 

tapping his foot impatiently as the cooks rang up the order, then bringing it back to the table all in 55 seconds. 

“What is this?” Kaiba asked before Jou had even set down his tray. 

“Your order?” Jou asked, getting a bad feeling about Kaiba’s question. 

“I wanted a chicken burger, not beef,” the CEO said, then shoved the tray away disgustingly. 

“You asked for a burger.”

“Did I say I wanted beef?” 

“You didn’t say you wanted chicken, either!” 

“You should’ve asked then, mutt. I knew your mind was too puny to comprehend a simple order.” 

Jou groaned and took the tray back to the kitchen, not wanting another confrontation with his boss. He should’ve known that wasn’t the end of it. 

“Mokuba’s milkshake is supposed to be vanilla, not chocolate,” Kaiba said casually as Jou brought back his  **chicken** burger to the table. 

“Big brother, just stop. It’s fine.” Mokuba pleaded, seemingly hating the situation as much as Jou. 

“No. It isn’t. You’re allergic and this mutt would have sent you to the hospital with his carelessness. How is that fine?” 

Kaiba was raising his voice again and attracting the attention of the other customers. Jou had to make him stop. The blonde quickly grabbed for the milkshake that Kaiba was gesturing at, but his poor eyesight made him miss, slapping the milkshake towards the CEO instead of grabbing the cup. 

Kaiba blinked twice, mouth agape and looked down at himself. His white trench coat was drenched in chocolate milk. Jou had finally shut him up, but the blonde was far from pleased. If his boss cares about Kaiba’s opinion as much as he claimed, Jounouchi would be fired on the spot. He had to do something! 

“I am so sorry. That was an accident” he said, hurriedly grabbing some napkins and moving towards Kaiba. 

“Yeah right!” the CEO yelled, getting up and telling Mokuba that they were leaving. 

_ Please, stop!  _

_ My boss is coming over here.  _

“It was!” Jou pleaded, looking deep into Kaiba’s furious eyes, begging him to understand how important this job was. 

_ I am so hungry, Kaiba.  _

_ If I don’t get my day’s tips, I’ll starve for who knows how long.  _

_ And I’ll have to go back to my father.  _

“Jou, give me your name tag and apron, now!” his boss said, appearing right behind him. 

“Boss, I-” Jou started frantically. His breathing was getting shallow. He couldn’t believe this was happening. 

“Now!” his boss yelled. By now, all the customers had their eyes on Jou and the blonde could hear some of them laughing. He had never been so humiliated in his entire life. He wondered if Kaiba had ever felt this humiliated and hoped to God that the CEO would someday. 

Jounouchi said nothing more, standing there with his head bowed down in defeat. The worst part was that, if there was even a tiny chance that begging the man on his hands and knees would’ve worked, the blonde would’ve gotten on the floor and kissed his feet in a heartbeat. But Jou knew there was no point. None of his coworkers cared enough to defend him. Everyone was too afraid for their own jobs, though Jounouchi knew most of them weren’t as bad off as he was. As the blonde removed his apron and name tag and handed them over, a stray tear rolled down his cheeks and fell from his chin. Before the dam could break, he left the restaurant and sobbed loudly when he was outside. He just wanted to get home and the nearest bus stop was down the street. His thoughts were already consuming him. 

_ I am going to have to have to beg pops to give me some money.  _

_ He couldn’t have spent everything he stole, could he?  _

_ But, either way, I won’t make enough to keep my place.  _

_ It took me months to land this job and that’s because a neighbor knew the boss and pitied me.  _

_ I am pitiful.  _

_ Pathetic.  _

_ It’s just not fair.  _

_ I’ve worked so hard for this.  _

_ I’ve never had to ask anyone for anything.  _

_ I’ve never had to beg before.  _

_ I’ve pushed myself so far to get where I am and now?  _

_ No apartment.  _

_ No food.  _

_ No job.  _

_ Nothing.  _

_ I knew you were cruel, Seto Kaiba, but I had no idea you could break me like this.  _

Though his tears were constantly streaming down his face and he was sobbing harshly, Jou looked both ways before he crossed the street. There was only one car coming his way and it looked very very far, but as he stepped off the sidewalk, he felt the wind knocked out of his as the same car ran right past him with the driver cursing at him to watch where he is going. 

“Do you have a death wish?” the driver yelled as he drove past Joey. 

_ I really don’t know, stranger.  _

_ I really don’t know anymore.  _


	2. Apology?

Jounouchi had known he would go blind ever since he was sixteen. He’d had three years to deal with the fact, but a little part of him hoped the whole thing would somehow go away, a deep unrealistic part. He hoped the doctor was wrong or that the whole thing was a nightmare that he would wake up from the next day. It worked for the most part; it had been three years and he had shown no symptoms whatsoever, until yesterday when he almost got run over because he couldn’t tell how far away a car was. 

When he first learned of the disease that would rob him of his vision, Jou was relentless, working himself to death in every part-time job he could find. He had raised the 300,000 yen needed for the tests and went in for them a year later. At that time, he had learned that the corrective surgery would cost 5,000,000. Upon hearing the number, the blonde had burst into tears, exhausted from overworking himself and convinced that he would never be able to make that much money in time. After he got home and rested, though, he woke up with a clear mind and optimistic attitude. He carefully did the calculations and discovered that he needed a minimum of five years to come up with that amount and even less to raise the down-payment of 2,500,000. The doctor was concerned that Jou’s condition would get worse within that time-frame, but, really, what else would the blonde do? He needed to stay optimistic and hopeful. Otherwise, he’d never be able to get through this. 

Of course, that optimism remained with Jou...for about a year. He had made and saved up 946,000 in checks from his part-time jobs. Being a seventeen year-old from the bad side of town, Jou had no knowledge of opening saving accounts in which to deposit the checks. He figured he’d do that when he had enough for the down-payment of the surgery. When he made 2,500,000 exactly, he could have the surgery then pay in installments until he covered the entire 5,000,000. Keeping the money in the form of checks would also guarantee that his old man couldn’t use them to buy booze; the checks were in Jou’s name after all. 

What Jou didn’t know at the time was that parents could cash in checks that were made out for their children. Of course, the blonde only discovered this after arriving home one day, a year and a half after he started saving up, to find all his checks, and his father, gone. After he realized what happened, Jou only blinked twice, then started laughing hysterically as he stood there, in the middle of his trashed room, with tears rolling down his cheeks constantly. It was the first time that he realized, in horror, that he might not be able to afford the surgery at all. 

The thought embedded itself in his mind and wouldn’t go. He stayed up nights worrying that he would wake up to the same darkness as his eyes lost all functionality. He researched homes and charities for blind people. He even went as far as to suggest to his bosses that he work over the 28-hour a week limit of his part-time jobs. They all refused, giving him dirty looks and his heart sank with every ‘no’ he heard in response. Could he really just go blind? Just like that? Who would take care of him? He was alone. His friends were all traveling for university. Serenity was still living with their mother far away from the slump he and his father inhabited. He had opted to stay in Japan after graduation to freaking work so he could continue to raise enough money for the down-payment and now his father has made the entire year and a half a complete waste. 

Jou never thought a person would steal years of another’s life before. Then again, he didn’t think a person could steal another person’s will to live, either. By the time Jou turned 18, his father had done both of those things to him. At that point, Jou knew he only had two years before his symptoms started. It would be difficult to work if that happens and he’d be screwed. Thanks to his father’s latest ‘vacation escapes’, Jou had lost a year and a half worth of paychecks, but he couldn’t look back. He would continue to move forward and find a better place to keep the money the second time around. He’d make enough for the down payment. He had to! What other option was there? Go blind? He had no one and nothing. He couldn’t live as a blind person. 

His father came back angry, though, angry enough to beat Jou into a pulp until the blonde couldn’t even stand up. 

“Where is it?!” he had yelled as he kicked Jou in the side, “where are you hidin’ the rest of it?” 

“I don’t have anything!” the blonde said, whimpering. 

_ Please stop.  _

_ Why are you doing this?  _

_ Why does this have to happen to me?  _

_ You’re my father.  _

_ You’re supposed to love me more than anything.  _

_ You’re supposed to be the only one who does.  _

_ Who will love me if even you won’t?  _

_ Am I really that horrible?  _

“And you shouldn’t have anything, you worthless piece of shit! Everything you make is mine! You owe me for all those years raising you and putting you through that school, not that it has done you any good! You’re still a good for nothing loser with a dead-end job! I thought I raised you to be better than me, to not make my mistakes! Was I really that awful a father that you learned nothing?” 

Suddenly, his father had burst into tears and collapsed on the ground next to Jou, sobbing apologies. The blonde comforted him as he always did despite how much pain he was in. Both of them passed out on the floor that day, Jou from the pain and his father from the booze. 

He lost two of his three jobs because he couldn’t get up and go to work for three weeks due to his injuries and depressed state. With one final bout of hope, Jou looked at the ads for full-time jobs, knowing if he got one, he’d be able to work 44 hours a week and have the down-payment in a year and a half. He was rejected by every single company within a hundred miles of his house. Apparently, without a college certificate, Jou truly amounted to nothing in the eyes of any employer. 

Jou kept his job as a waiter in Cheesy Crisps, but lost all hope of getting another or affording the surgery. He wept silently on his bed at night as his father pounded on his locked door asking for more money. That was the first time Jou truly considered the unspoken, cruel third alternative: death. He dismissed the thought quickly at first, but as the months passed and his father’s emotional and physical abuse continued, Jou’s mental health deteriorated and he sank into a constant state of depression. He didn’t even bother locking his bedroom door anymore. He couldn’t stop his father even if he tried. He couldn’t do anything to save himself. Jou was useless; he knew that now. 

The blonde moved out the second he had enough money to do so and never looked back. His new rented apartment would be the perfect place to die, away from his father’s abuse. At least, then, he could say he lived peacefully for a bit before he died. Of course, Kaiba had to go and screw that up by getting him fired. Jou would now have to take his life a bit earlier than planned if he didn’t want to be forced back into an apartment with his father. And. He. Absolutely. Didn’t. Want. That. Ever. Jou was terrified of the man and wholly convinced that death would be a better fate than seeing his father again. The only problem? Jou had started to appreciate life again since he had moved out. He wasn’t ready to die. 

* * *

“How bad is it, doc?” the blonde reluctantly asked. He didn’t really want to know. It wouldn’t matter anyway. He couldn’t afford even the most basic of treatments. 

The doctor pulled away from his examination with a sigh, then shook his head sadly. 

“It’s not good, Jounouchi,” the old man mumbled, having grown too close to the blonde boy to be objective about his condition. The blonde had called the doctor in joy every time he had gotten a paycheck or another job. They had had a few lunches together or talked about Jounouchi’s future and his plans. The calls stopped a year and a half ago. The doctor should’ve known there was something wrong. The blonde looked like death incarnate. His body was unhealthily skinny and his eyes had purple bags under them. 

“H-How long?” the blonde asked, stammering, his entire body frozen in shock. He thought he’d had more time. 

“A year at most,” the doctor answered quietly, “I take it you don’t have the money?” 

Jou shook his head, still looking at the ground. He heard the doctor sigh. 

“How much more do you need? It can’t be a lot. I’ll pay the rest. I don’t mind.” 

_ I need all of it.  _

Jou looked up with a forced smile. The doctor was the only person in his life who was kind to him. It felt really nice to be cared for like this, foreign even. He’d pretended to be confident enough around his friends so they wouldn’t know of his insecurity and try to reassure him. The doctor saw right through his act, though. 

“I don’t need you to, doc,” Jou said, “I’ve just found a cheaper alternative in the U.S. I am going soon. You don’t have to worry about me.” 

Jou jumped off the examination table and grabbed his jacket off the chair. He didn’t turn around as he said “thank you, doc. I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me.” 

With that, the blonde left the office and ran down the hallways, then exited the clinic entirely. He couldn’t breathe. He had no plan in mind. This wasn’t how he wanted to go. He didn’t want to go now, at least not as much as he had wanted to when he lived with his father. He was finally independent and could do anything. Why couldn’t he have a few more years of that. Then, he remembered. 

_ Key word on ‘was’ _

_ You got fired, remember?  _

_ You only had two weeks and a few days left anyway.  _

The blonde’s tears thickened as he saw that his vision often went from blurry to normal again. A ticking bomb formed in his mind as he got more anxious about his fading vision. He needed some control, even if it’s only a little bit, even if it’s just an escape plan in case...in case the inevitable happened. 

Jou rushed into the nearest pharmacy and bought a pack of two razor blades, stuffing them frantically in his pants pocket. He’d take them everywhere with him. He wouldn’t ever be trapped again. He wouldn’t be beat again. His body wouldn’t be used again, wouldn’t be starved again. He  **wouldn’t** go blind. At the first sign of any of these things happening, he’d pull out the razor and exit life on his own terms. He had just gotten his life back and no one would take it from him now. 

As Jou rounded the corner to his apartment’s door, he noticed a tall figure standing in front of it and panicked, his hand tightening his grip on the razorblade box in his pocket. 

_ I have it if I need it.  _

_ I have it if I need it.  _

_ I have it if I need it.  _

The blonde stopped internally chanting those words when the figure turned around and Jou was staring right into the eyes of Seto Kaiba. 


	3. What's Wrong?

**\- Yesterday Night -**

“That stupid mutt!” the CEO hissed under his breath as he yanked his favorite and only necklace off and checked it thoroughly, “he almost ruined the only picture I have of you of when we were kids.” 

Mokuba said nothing, remaining silent for the rest of the car ride. Kaiba noticed, but decided not to call attention to it. He didn’t need another lecture from his brother about being nice when the brunette hadn’t done anything wrong. 

The younger one of the brothers cleared his throat as soon as they entered the mansion they live in. Kaiba was already taking off his coat and handing it to a maid, instructing her to clean it well and have it dry by the next morning. Mokuba’s action caught his attention and Kaiba groaned again. 

“Tell me you’re not about to say what I think you’re going to say,” he said calmly. When Mokuba didn’t respond and simply stared at Kaiba, the brunette sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, “he threw a milkshake at me.” 

“You got him fired. He cried because of you,” Mokuba said quietly, frowning at his older brother, “You treat him so cruelly for someone who likes him, Seto. That was your first chance you have had with him since graduation and you just threw it away and, possibly, all future chances along with it.” 

“I don’t need any chances with him,” the taller brother gritted out, annoyed that Mokuba would bring up the sore subject. Kaiba always regretted how he had treated Jou before he got to know him. By the time the CEO realized his feelings for the blonde, it was too late. Jou hated him and Kaiba wouldn’t stoop so low as to apologize and change his ways. Admitting mistakes makes one vulnerable and Kaiba didn’t ever want to risk getting hurt after doing so. It would break him. 

“It was just a stupid crush and I got over it.” 

“Is that why you kept making up excuses so he would come back to the table a million times?” Mokuba asked, smirking. 

**_Was I being that obvious?_ **

“I treated him as I would any other incompetent employee, Mokuba.” 

“I am not even allergic to chocolate!” the younger brother exclaimed, getting agitated. 

“You could’ve been,” Kaiba replied calmly. 

“You didn’t tell him the right order, then.” 

“He should’ve asked!” Kaiba replied, his voice getting a bit louder. He was aware that his argument was dwindling into nothing, but he wouldn’t admit that he wanted to rile Jou up like the old days or even see the blonde more often. 

After a moment of silence with the two brothers glaring at each other, Kaiba huffed and deflated. 

“Fine. You’re right. I might have let my emotions get the better of me tonight. Is that what you want to hear?” Kaiba whispered, hating how Mokuba always got him like this. 

The younger brother smiled widely. 

“Are you going to fix it?” Mokuba asked cheerfully. Kaiba sighed. 

“Yes, I’ll go get him his job back, but I am changing first.” 

In the blink of an eye, Kaiba found himself with an armful of Mokuba, who was smiling up at him widely and nodding at the same time. 

“I wish you’d just show people how much of a good guy you are,” the younger brother murmured, “Then people would stop thinking I am crazy for calling you kind.” 

“People are a nuisance. Who cares what they think?” the CEO growled, hating the fact that his brother gets called names because of him. Mokuba seemed to hesitate before saying the next part. 

“I am also a bit worried, Seto. I love that we are close, but don’t you want to have other people too?” 

Seto looked down. Mokuba’s eyes were wide and concerned. Kaiba knelt down to his level and rubbed his back. 

“I don’t need anyone else, little brother.”

**_Whether I want a certain blonde is another story._ **

* * *

**\- Today -**

It didn’t take long to track down the blonde’s address. He had secretly sent another driver after the blonde the day Jou got fired. The puppy was too distressed for Kaiba to just let him go home without protection. Kaiba’s heart sank when the other driver informed him that the blonde was too upset to notice a car was about to hit him. He didn’t show it, of course. 

So, the next day, the CEO made his way to the address his driver had given him, hating every second he spent in the neighborhood. The entire street was a complete dump, filled with dealers, prostitutes, homeless people, criminals, and junkies. Kaiba was fuming. He absolutely didn’t like the idea of Jou living there one bit. He had to find out how and why the blonde was forcing himself to live in these horrid conditions. 

So, Kaiba waited outside Jou’s door until the puppy arrived. The CEO expected a fight, punches, curses, and yelling. He expected Jou to stomp his feet in anger and turn the cute red of red he did when he was furious. Instead, Jou simply blinked once, slid into his apartment and closed the door in Kaiba’s face. No fury. No insults. No fight. So, Kaiba, in his bewilderment, did the only thing he could think of to right the situation again. He banged on the door with all his might and shouted at Jou to open it. When the blonde didn’t, the CEO only did it louder until the neighbors started coming out of their doors to tell him to stop. Some of them were half naked, some drunk, some smelly. Kaiba hated the building even more than he did a second ago. He was just going to start lock-picking the door when Jou opened it and motioned him inside through hand gestures. 

Kaiba smirked. He knew what would come now. The blonde was probably furious at the CEO for causing such a ruckus. He would probably yell at Kaiba until he was blue in the face. The tall brunette frowned as Jou simply shut the door behind them then plopped himself down on a dusty mattress placed directly on the floor, and huddled into a ball, burying his face in the arms wrapped around his bent knees and leaning on the wall for support. 

“What’s wrong?” 

The words were out before Kaiba was even aware he had thought them. He couldn’t help it. He had never seen Jou so defeated and helpless. His guilt tripled upon the sight. 

**_Is this all because he lost his job?_ **

**_The manager treated him like crap!_ **

**_He couldn’t have been happy there._ **

**_Now that I think of it, I don’t like the way that manager was talking to Jou._ **

**_Or the way he spoke about Jou._ **

**_Like Jou was disposable, not important, not human._ **

Kaiba gritted his teeth in fury. No one should treat his precious puppy like that. The CEO blinked and backtracked.

**_Just puppy._ **

**_He’s not precious._ **

**_And he is definitely not mine._ **

Choking noises brought Kaiba out of his thoughts. His gaze instantly landed on Jou, who was sobbing violently, choking on air while trying to get his breath to even out again. Kaiba’s hard gaze softened immediately and he just stood there gaping, not knowing what else to do. 

**_Say something you idiot!_ **

**_Make him feel better._ **

“I’m here to tell you that I was going to get your job back at that stupid burger place.” 

At that, Jou’s wet eyes finally rose to meet Kaiba’s. 

“W-why would y-you do something nice for me?” the blonde whispered. Kaiba smiled internally. At least Jou was speaking to him now. 

“You need to check your ears, mutt,” the CEO started, intending on dragging the conversation out for as long as he could. He didn’t want to leave Jou like this. “I said I  **was** going to get your job back. I’ve decided against it.” 

The brunette’s eyebrows furrowed as bitter chuckling filled the room. Jou’s next statement shocked him to the very core. 

“You know, Kaiba, the sad thing is...You would’ve been very hot if not for that mouth and your entire personality for that matter.”

The CEO just stood there, eyes wide with his mouth hanging open, watching as Jou leaped off the bed and came closer, so close. 

“I’ve always wanted to kiss you,” the blonde whispered shakingly, looking at his feet as he stood in front of Kaiba, “would you be too mad if I did?” 

The brunette couldn’t form a coherent response, the only voice leaving his mouth a deep sigh. He never knew how much he wanted to hear those words until Jou said them. But the whole situation was beyond his wildest dreams. It couldn’t be this easy, right? After years of what Mokuba calls ‘pinning’ after Jou, Kaiba gets to have him? Just like that? 

The blonde didn’t take the brunette’s silence as a good sign and started to sob again. 

“Please, Kaiba,” he choked out, “I ain’t ever kissed anyone before.” 

**_He wants me to be his first kiss?_ **

**_Am I dreaming?_ **

**_I thought you hated me, Jou._ **

Kaiba looked at the blonde’s state and, though it pained him, had to admit that it just wouldn’t be right to do anything with Jou right now. The puppy was too distressed to make good choices and firsts may matter to him. 

The brunette slowly raised his hand and wiped the tears from Jou’s cheek, his insides screaming at him not to do this, but he had to. 

“Come find me when you’re more...certain. I’ll give you what you want.” he said softly, then pulled his hand away. 

Jou’s head immediately snapped up. He glared at Kaiba through wet, red eyes as he furiously wiped away the tears on his cheeks with both his hands. 

“I ain’t a damsel in distress, Kaiba,” he hissed, much to the surprise of the CEO, “I asked you for something. It ain’t my fault you’re too chicken to follow through.” 

Seeing Jou return to his normal, feisty self was enough for the brunette. He couldn’t hold back anymore as he quickly smashed his lips upon Jou’s and claimed dominance, shoving his tongue in the blonde’s mouth and enjoying his unique taste. Jou stumbled back a bit, not expecting the Brunette’s actions, then dragged Kaiba down on top of him on the mattress, moaning into the kiss. 

Kaiba revelled in the noises that Jou was making, suddenly needing to touch every inch of the blonde. But, as the brunette was just about to lift Jou’s shirt, he sensed something small moving beside his head before he felt antennae brushing against his cheek. He gasped loudly and shot up off the bed, taking the blonde with him into a standing position. He instantly looked down at Jou when he felt his puppy shaking in his arms. Jou was laughing hysterically. 

“Y-you should’ve seen your face!” the blonde said between laughs, “It was just a cockroach, Kaiba.” 

Kaiba’s heart warmed as he listened to Jou’s soft laugh. Then, he realized their position and took his arms off the blonde, quickly regaining his composure. 

“Just a cockroach?!” he hissed, the disgust evident in his voice, “Do I look like some kind of homeless person who would be used to having such vile creatures touch my face?” 

Jou’s laughter stopped there and he groaned, bringing his hand up to slap his forehead as if Kaiba was missing something. 

“I ain’t a homeless person. Not all of us can afford fancy-ass houses in nice neighborhoods, moneybags.” 

If Kaiba had been unsure of his decision before, which he wasn’t, that statement only made him more certain that it needed to be done. 

“It’s a good thing your new job has room and board so you could learn to live like a damn human being then.” 

Kaiba knew the anger was evident in his voice, but he couldn’t help it. Jou didn’t deserve to live like this. The brunette smirked when he saw the confused look on the blonde’s face. 

“Right, I didn’t get a chance to say,” the brunette continued, “I decided against getting you your old job back, but my secretary took off unexpectedly yesterday, so here.” 

The blonde reached out his hand to catch the KaibaCorp key card being thrown his way, but it fell to the ground three inches away from where the blonde’s hand was. Jou cleared his throat and picked it up, then, surprising the brunette for the third time that day, placed it back in Kaiba’s hands with a sad smile on his face. 

“I don’t think so, Kaiba,” the blonde said, shaking his head “but getting me my job back would help me big time if you could.” 

**_He’s rejecting my offer?_ **

**_To go work for that manager?!_ **

**_WHY?!_ **

**_Could he hate me that much?_ **

**_Could that kiss have meant nothing to him?_ **

**_He seemed to like it...to like me._ **

As if reading Kaiba’s mind, Jou quickly reassured him. 

“It’s got nothin’ to do with you,” he said firmly, then looked deep in thought, “I just don’t like computers very much is all.” 

Kaiba smirked. That was it? That was the only thing keeping him and his puppy on opposite ends of the city? Well, it was about to change. 

“The weekly salary is 50,000 yen.” 


	4. I can live?

Jou stood there gaping in shock. 

_ 50,000 yen? A week?  _

_ That can mean...the surgery.  _

“You also get benefits.” the CEO continued, as if luring the blonde to an already accepted position. 

_ I can live?  _

_ I don’t have to see my father again?  _

_ That’s...everything!  _

Jou threw himself at Kaiba and cried softly into the brunette’s shirt, murmuring “thank you” over and over again. 

The blonde relaxed considerably when Kaiba wrapped his arms around him. They remained like that for ten minutes before the brunette pulled away and looked around the small studio apartment in disgust. 

“Do you have any bags?” he asked suddenly.

“Wha-?” 

“Bags. Things to move other things. How much do I need to dumb the conversation down for you, mutt?” the CEO hissed, glad that they were back in a familiar territory, “You’re expected to be at Kaiba Corp at 8 AM sharp tomorrow. You ride with me and there’s no way in hell I am bringing my driver through this neighborhood. You move into the mansion tonight or there’s no job for you.” 

“Oh, sure. I didn’t think about that.” Jou said, then grabbed his biggest bag and threw everything he owned into it. The whole process took him less than three minutes. When he turned to Kaiba with a smile and said they could go, the CEO looked taken aback. 

“That’s it? That’s all you own?” the brunette asked with a raised eyebrow. Jou didn’t catch onto Kaiba’s concerned tone or his sad expression. The blonde just nodded before grabbing Kaiba’s arm and half-dragging him outside. He couldn’t help it. He was too excited. He couldn’t wait for this day to end. He’d go to the doctor tomorrow, use that insurance thing and go from there. He’d have the surgery. He could do that now. He could live. 

“So what are my hours?” he asked excitedly when he entered the car Kaiba had parked outside. 

“It’s simple. You work whenever I do.” the CEO said, keeping his eyes on the road. 

“And...what if I need a break?” the blonde asked quietly. He didn’t want to anger Kaiba by asking for things already, but he really did need time to go to the doctor. 

“Then you take a break whenever I do, but I’ll tell you now that that will be infrequent.” 

“So, I am basically your slave. That ain’t a problem. For all that money, I’d do anything.” the blonde said more to himself than Kaiba. He could delay the doctor until the weekend, though he hoped Kaiba didn’t work then as well. Soon, they were out of the car and in Jou’s new room at the mansion. 

“You’re right across the hall from me. I am allowed to come to you at any time with a task but you are forbidden from going near mine or Mokuba’s doors unless there is an emergency.” the CEO said firmly as Jou surveyed the room in awe. It was huge! The bed was fluffy and the bathroom tiles were a shiny white and looked as if they were bought yesterday. Best of all, there wasn’t even a particle of dust in the room or the adjoining bathroom. “You will eat in the cafeteria of Kaiba Corp with the other employees and are restricted from using our personal kitchen. If you get hungry at night, feel free to order something or ask the maids to bring food up to you.” 

With that Kaiba turned to leave the blonde alone in his room. There was something still nagging at Jou, though. He needed to get it off his chest before he started working for the brunette. 

“Hey, Kaiba. Wait.” he called out. The CEO stopped in front of the door but didn’t turn around. 

“I am sorry about before, about...er...crying on you and umm k-kissing you. It’s been a bad day and I won’t do any of that again, I swear. I know you just did it because you felt guilty about getting me fired and, hey, you made up for it by giving me this awesome job, so thanks! Can we just not bring it up again, ever?” the blonde said in one breath. It was already awkward enough as it is. He just wanted this over with. Of course, he didn’t tell Kaiba the real reason behind his actions. He couldn’t tell the brunette that kissing Kaiba had been on Jou’s bucket list ever since he found out that he wouldn’t afford the surgery. The brunette had captivated Jounouchi with how much he protected and cared for his brother during Duelist Kingdom and Jou couldn’t get Kaiba off his mind ever since. Of course, the reasons that the blonde didn’t make a move were plenty: 1) Kaiba acted like an absolute ass and the blonde couldn’t handle a relationship with someone like that, 2) Jou was afraid he’d be rejected, 3) Jou was too busy working, then too busy being abused, then too busy plotting his death. 

“Kaiba?” the blonde asked after a minute of complete silence. The brunette was still standing in the doorframe, saying nothing. 

* * *

Kaiba gripped the doorknob tightly, gritting his teeth. Why did Jou have to phrase it like that?!  _ ‘I know you just did it because you felt guilty about getting me fired.’ _ That left no room for arguments or responses. Jou didn’t even ask if Kaiba felt something for him; he just declared that the brunette didn’t and wasn’t waiting for Kaiba’s input. If the brunette said anything about the kiss now, he’d look like a fool. 

“I didn’t feel guilty,” he said truthfully, but didn’t elaborate, “You better do well at this job or you won’t have anything to be thankful for come tomorrow night!” 

With that, Kaiba closed the door and went looking for Mokuba. He’d have a field day when Kaiba told him what transpired between him and his puppy. But, first, Kaiba had to make a phone call. He reached into his pocket, flipped open his cell phone and dialed the number for HR. 

“Transfer my secretary to another department. Feel free to give her a pay raise if she starts asking questions. Also, put in the documents for a new hire. His name is Jounouchi Katsuya.”


	5. Breakdown

Jou rode to work the next morning feeling nervous for the events to come. Jou, who had been too excited at the prospect of not losing his sight the night before, had had a horrible thought cross his mind as soon as Kaiba left him alone. 

_ What if I mess this up?  _

_ What am I saying?  _

_ I will mess this up!  _

_ Like I mess everything up.  _

_ What if my dad was right?  _

_ Am I just going to fail?  _

_ Be kicked out of Kaiba Corp in disgrace?  _

_ Lose my only chance at a normal life?  _

The thoughts drove Jou crazy to the point where he barely slept. He got up, though anxiety was crippling his mind and body. He would at least try. He owed it to himself to do that. If this didn’t work out, then...he hoped the afterlife would be kinder to him than his life on earth has been. 

“We’re here, mutt.” he heard Kaiba say, snapping him out of his thoughts. The brunette walked into the building with his briefcase in hand and his trenchcoat flapping behind him. He didn’t even hang back for a single second to show Jou how the blonde could use his keycard. The security guy was helpful and Jou got through, but not in time to catch up the brunette. 

_ So much for Kaiba helping me out, though.  _

_ But who am I kidding?  _

_ He would never do that.  _

Jou got lost three times on his way to Kaiba’s office. Everyone he asked for directions asked him a bunch of questions about who he was and asked for identification, which he didn’t have on him. Finally, he plopped down at the secretary’s desk outside Kaiba’s office with a sigh, when Kaiba’s voice suddenly made him jump. 

“Took you long enough.” 

Jou looked around the desk, wondering where the sound had come from. 

“Relax, mutt,” the brunette said and Jou discovered the source. There was a weird, intercom-like device on the desk through which they could communicate. Kaiba continued “Here’s what’s on the agenda for today.” 

The brunette had given the blonde five vague tasks before Jou even found a pen and paper to write them down. In total, there were 25 things to do that day, a bunch of emails to send, phone calls to make, and scheduling issues to adjust. That wasn’t too bad. He could handle that. It would be fine, right? 

With a grin, Jou realized that, if he finishes these tasks early, he might make it to the doctor’s office in time. He had to ask Kaiba, though. The brunette’s words from last night echoed into his mind. 

_ ‘You work when I work and you leave when I leave.’  _

Jou gulped and knelt down to the weird intercom-like contraption, then hesitantly pressed a random button. 

“What do you want?!” Kaiba hissed, making Jou jump back. 

“Er..sorry, Kaiba. I just wanted to ask if I can leave early if I finish all those tasks by nine.” 

Jou heard Kaiba chuckling and revelled in the sound without giving much thought to what it meant. 

“First off, that is ‘sir’ to you and, secondly, of course you can leave  **if** you finish everything by nine.” 

At 2 AM, Jou shut off the computer with a sigh and rubbed at his eyes furiously. He didn’t think they could possibly hurt more than they had that morning, but, apparently, he was wrong. It turned out every single of Kaiba’s clients and associates were just as obnoxious as the brunette, demanding an explanation for the meetings Jou had asked to be postponed or the products that Kaiba Corp no longer needed. Every task he had took him a half hour to get through, minimum. And it didn’t help that he had to take small breaks to rest his eyes. He really needed to get to the doctor soon. Was this pain normal? Was he making his eyesight worse? He couldn’t afford to do that. He was already on borrowed time as it was. He was supposed to have had the surgery a few months earlier. Would his condition turn inoperable if he strained his eyes too much? 

“Congratulations, mutt. You’ve lasted longer than I thought.” 

Jou sighed and leaned back on his desk, then looked at the source of Kaiba’s sound. The brunette was too blurry; Jou couldn’t find his eyes. 

“What time are we coming in tomorrow?” the blonde asked as they stepped into the mansion, an idea occurring to him. If they were going to go around 12, he could go to the doctor and be back in time for work. 

“8 AM, the usual.” the brunette replied casually. Jou was about to explode in protests, telling Kaiba that the CEO was being unreasonable, but he bit his tongue. He wasn’t qualified for this job. He could never find one like it. It was his only shot at not dying. He already had something that he didn’t deserve and that other people would kill for. He had no right to complain. 

“Alright, boss.” he murmured, his shoulders slumping in defeat, then turned to head to his room when Kaiba’s voice stopped him. 

“Don’t you want to ask the maid for something to eat? You didn’t go to the cafeteria all day.” the brunette said, surprising Jou, then quickly added, “I mean I don’t want you fainting on me during your working hours. You’d be completely useless, then. A part of this position is taking care of yourself so I wouldn’t have to deal with any more burdens than I already do at work.” 

Jou was touched by Kaiba’s concern until he heard the last sentence. 

_ Burden.  _

_ That’s what I am.  _

_ That’s all I’ll ever be.  _

_ He doesn’t want me here.  _

_ And he’ll kick me out at the first sign of problems.  _

_ I shouldn’t have asked for a break.  _

_ I shouldn’t have asked to leave early.  _

_ I shouldn’t ask or say anything.  _

_ I shouldn’t give him a reason to fire me or hate me even more than he does.  _

_ I need him and this job.  _

_ He doesn’t need me.  _

“I’ll go to the cafeteria tomorrow, I promise.” he said quietly, then silently went into his room and closed the door behind him. 

* * *

Kaiba blinked when Jou left him standing there. Why didn’t the puppy say anything? Kaiba knew he was being too cruel, that his own hours were impossible and that Jou shouldn’t have to work according to them, especially since all other employees left before Kaiba did. The brunette was just trying to rile Jou up again. It was their thing, wasn’t it? Perhaps he had to wait a few days before the blonde became totally comfortable around him again, then they’d go back to being...well, them. 

And Kaiba did wait, but Jou only became more distant and unresponsive than he had been the first day. The blonde said nothing to Kaiba on their way to work or on their way back. He no longer asked to leave early or leave at all. He didn’t go to the cafeteria like he promised Kaiba, but seemed to have somehow convinced an intern their age to bring up some fruits for him. That was it. Fruits. Fruits which Jou hated. Kaiba knew that for sure. Was the blonde torturing himself on purpose? 

Worse of all was that intern. Kaiba didn’t remember his name. He had too many employees to remember any names really, but he learned this one’s name: Haruki. The brunette absolutely did NOT like the way that intern looked at Jou. He also didn’t like the fact that Haruki seemed to be the only thing in the world that made Jou smile and speak. On their seventh day of work, Kaiba listened over his speaker device, eavesdropping on Jou and Haruki’s conversations for the hundredth time, though he had only started doing that on their third day of work, when the black-haired intern was still there at 2 AM keeping Jou company until his shift ended. Kaiba’s blood boiled as he listened to Haruki making jokes about a certain ‘dictator’ and Jou laugh at them. It didn’t take a genius to find out who they were talking about. 

**_You just made an enemy out of Seto Kaiba._ **

**_You’re going to regret this._ **

“Time for lunch, mutt,” Kaiba said, slamming the door of his office closed and glaring daggers at the intern who suddenly had a frightened expression on his face, stammered some apologies, then ran off. Jou frowned and looked longingly at Haruki as the intern left Jou’s cubicle and ran down the hall to the elevator. That just made Kaiba’s temper reach new levels. 

“And clean out your desk. You’re fired,” he yelled after the intern who looked back at Kaiba with pleading eyes but said nothing. The brunette continued to glare daggers at him until his shoulders slumped in defeat and he turned around, but before he could reach the elevator, Jou spoke up. 

“Why?! You can’t fire him.” Jou said loudly enough to grab the attention of other employees, who looked at Kaiba with a horrified expression, expecting his next move to be viscous. 

**_Oh Great._ **

**_Now I have to punish you._ **

**_All I wanted to do was freaking take you to lunch!_ **

Kaiba was fuming, not because of Jou’s retort but because, apparently, Haruki was the only one who could get Jou to be his old, strong, confident self. Did Jou think Kaiba wasn’t worth the effort anymore? Did the blonde decide not to speak to Kaiba ever again? Was this because Kaiba was his boss now? Would it really be that different between them because Jou is working for Kaiba? That was the opposite of what Kaiba wanted to achieve. All his plans had backfired and the brunette was just so  **angry** . 

“Fine! You’re not fired,” Kaiba snarled at the intern’s back, then looked at Jou with a scowl and said loudly enough for others to hear “But you should be! How dare you talk to your boss like that you ungrateful brat. Just for that, you won’t get paid for a month!” 

Jou’s eyes widened and his mouth hung open. 

“You can’t just-” 

“What did I just say, mutt? That will be two months’ payment. Go ahead, speak again and make it three. I dare you.” Kaiba yelled. The entire hall went silent. Everyone looked at Jou who just glared at the floor, then sat back at his seat and typed away at the computer in front of him. 

“I am giving you all a gentle reminder that if anyone doesn’t like the way I do things, they are welcome to quit. Otherwise, get back to work!” the CEO yelled at his employees who all resumed their tasks. The brunette sighed internally and went back into his office. 

As expected, Jou said nothing on their way back home. Kaiba would usually remain quiet as well, not sure how to start a casual conversation with the blonde. That time, though, he just felt like he would explode if they both remained quiet until they arrived at the mansion. He wanted to apologize, but couldn’t bring himself to do so. He still needed to say something though! It was only the first week and Jou seemed to already hate Kaiba more than the blonde had in high-school. The brunette didn’t even think that was possible. Perhaps an explanation would make things better?

“An employee isn’t allowed to converse with other employees during their working hours. It is a Kaiba Corp policy. It is right there in the handbook, which I now know you didn’t bother to read instead of just suspecting so” the brunette said, then slapped himself internally. 

**_I really didn’t need to add that last part._ **

When the blonde continued saying nothing while looking out the car window and leaning against it, Kaiba decided maybe he should try another way. 

“I could have fired you. Perhaps you should be more grateful.” 

Jou turned further towards the window and away from Kaiba even more. 

**_Alright. Maybe saying nothing would’ve been a better option._ **

As soon as they arrived, Jou quietly slipped out of the car and up the stairs to his room, not sparing the brunette a single glance. Kaiba went to grab dinner when he suddenly discovered that he had no appetite. So, he went up the stairs and down the hallway that leads to their bedrooms. He stopped outside Jou’s door when he heard quiet sniffles and sounds of the same heart-wrenching sobs that Jou had made when Kaiba went to see him at his apartment seven days earlier. His chest clenched. He was sure this was his fault. He leaned further into the door and was surprised to hear Mokuba’s voice. 

“That conversation rule is pretty stupid. I am going to strike it from the handbook the moment I am put in charge. I am sorry about what happened, Jou. That was very unfair of Seto.” 

Then, the brunette heard Jou’s choked voice. 

“I-it’s not just that! Th-the hours and the job itself and the no-breaks thing and - and now this. I-I haven’t even h-had time to b-breathe and he doesn’t c-care and n-now he isn’t even paying me. Maybe I sh-should j-just quit. I ain’t c-cut out f-for this. My d-dad was r-right” the blonde wailed, though his voice was muffled. 

Kaiba’s heart sank. 

**_Please don’t quit._ **

**_I didn’t think of it like that._ **

**_Why didn’t you say anything?_ **

“How can you say that, Jou? What about college? You said you really wanted to go, but couldn’t afford it. This is your best chance. I can talk to Seto.” 

“Definitely don’t do that! I-I don’t want him th-thinking I am complaining about him to his brother or tearing you two apart or anything. I shouldn't even be t-talking to you about any of this. I am just so t-tired, Mokuba. So, very tired. And - and I haven’t even had time to look up tuition costs or go to campuses or nothing. I might r-run out of time for the application process if I keep going like this, but I r-really don’t know what else to do,” the brunette heard Jou say back, then add quietly, “I am sorry I can’t play with you tonight, Mokuba.” 

Mokuba just sighed in response. Then, Kaiba heard an “ummfff” and guessed that his younger brother had thrown himself at the blonde to embrace him and calm him down.

“It’s okay, Jou. Get some sleep. I’ll be in my room if you need anything.” 

Kaiba quickly moved out of the way as his brother’s footsteps approached the slightly ajar door, going into his own room. Almost immediately, he heard his brother come in. The brunette turned to face Mokuba and saw that his younger brother had a sullen look on his face. 

“I send Haruki to Jou with some food every once in a while. I also send him with notes to read out to Jou with jokes and stuff.” Mokuba whispered, looking at the ground. 

Kaiba’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he tilted his head. 

“Why would you do that? Did he know it was you?” the CEO asked, his chest clenching even more. The thought of his little brother knowing what the brunette did today made him more ashamed than he had ever been in his entire life. There was still a little part of him saying that he did nothing wrong, that Jou and Haruki were the ones not following protocol and that he did what any employer would’ve done. Deep down, though, Kaiba knew he wouldn’t have reacted so harshly had been any other two employees. His feelings for Jounouchi had gotten the best of him. Again. 

“He is afraid to take a break because he is so scared you’d be angry with him so I wanted to bring food to him. He is also very lonely, Seto. Everyone at Kaiba Corp hates him. They think he is being favoured and doesn’t deserve the position. He is also the youngest employee except for the interns, which doesn’t really help with popularity. He would come home and play with me every night. I noticed something was wrong, so I just kept a closer eye on him at work and that’s when I found all that stuff out. And, yes, he did know it was me. Haruki doesn’t even know Jou’s name.” Mokuba said more firmly, a hint of judgement in his voice. 

Kaiba didn’t call his brother out on it. He knew Mokuba was right in judging the brunette. 

**_How did I not know about any of this?_ **

**_How did I not notice?_ **

**_How bad is this?_ **

**_And how can I make it so that he starts talking to me again?_ **

“Mokuba,” Kaiba started quietly, “how do I fix this?” 

Although young, the CEO’s younger brother gave better advice than anyone when it came to ‘people stuff’. Kaiba knew he could help, but Mokuba was looking at him with the same judgement and seemed hesitant. 

“Are you sure you want to?” the black-haired boy whispered. 

“You don’t think I deserve him anymore.” Kaiba stated, looking at the ground in shame. It wasn’t a question. If it were, Kaiba didn’t think he, himself, would’ve answered “yes” to it. He heard Mokuba sigh and looked up. 

“It’s not that, big brother. You’re treating him the way you always did, and that would be fine if Jou was strong enough to stand up to you or at least fight for his rights as an employee. Jou isn’t really the same person he always was, and I don’t know if you’ll be comfortable adapting to that. I know you hate change, big brother, and it’s going to take a lot of effort on your part to get him to trust you now.” 

“So the mutt is acting more like a kicked puppy. I can work with that.” the older brother said, smirking. 

“Seto! That’s exactly what I mean. You can’t even  **talk** nicely about him when he  isn’t here. There’s no way you would be able to  **be** nice to him  face-to-face . Besides, if you think about it, you might just be wasting your own time. Jou isn’t the same person you had a crush on in high-school.” 

Kaiba just forced a smile. Changing the way he treated his puppy would be difficult, but he would do it. He already felt terrible about everything he had said and done to jou since he saw the blonde at Cheesy Crisps. Perhaps if he was nicer, he would catch a break from this constant guilt as well. But it would just be towards Jou. It would be a one-time exception. Only for him. The blonde was the kindest, most loyal person Kaiba had ever met. Even the brunette could admit that Jou deserved to be treated well. Remembering the way Jou had stuck up for Haruki, who he barely knew, risking his own job in the process, Kaiba made a decision. 

“He’s still Jou and he still fascinates me. I’ve never backed down from a challenge before. I can try to win him over.” 

Mokuba looked worried but smiled nonetheless. 

“If you’re sure it won’t drive you crazy.” 

“It won’t.” the brunette reassured, then kissed his brother’s forehead and bade him goodnight. He couldn’t wait for tomorrow. He’d get the puppy to be his one way or another. 


	6. Letter

Jou woke up well-rested. It was the first time that had happened in a while and he suddenly remembered the reason. His heart sank as he looked at the clock and saw that it was 2 PM. How the hell did he oversleep? He set like a dozen alarms for every morning! The blonde looked around the room and saw that the digital clock he had on the nightstand the night before wasn’t there anymore. He looked down at the blurred outlines of hands in his lap as his tears rolled off his cheeks and fell on them. This was it. Kaiba would fire him for sure. He was expecting as much anyway, keeping his still packed bag under the bed in case he was suddenly asked to leave. He used to do that at his father’s apartment too. He remembered wondering if he would ever live in a place where he would never feel threatened and unwanted. 

“I guess not,” he whispered as more tears made their way into his lap. He sniffled, hating himself for how weak and pathetic he had become. But it wasn’t his fault...really, it was what the world had reduced him to. Though the blurriness didn’t dissipate yet, Jou kicked his legs to the side of the bed to grab his bag from under it, change, and leave the mansion forever. That’s when he noticed the tray on a table next to the nightstand with a folded note. Biting his lip, the blonde grabbed the tray and brought it to his lap, then carefully opened the note, fearing what he would find inside. 

_ Puppy,  _

_ I apologize if I scared you by taking away your digital clock. I instructed a maid to do so as subtly as possible. Please inform me if she hasn’t and I’ll see to it that she gets transferred. I am not docking your pay nor will I ever do such a thing. Although, for future reference, I’d prefer it if you’d call me out on my behavior in private. I wouldn’t have fired Haruki, either. Rather, I was firing him from that division and transferring him to another. He is an arrogant brat who flirts with everyone and makes them uncomfortable. I thought he was doing that with you. I simply wasn’t aware of your friendship with Mokuba and his part in this. You have the day off and you deserve it. There was a really important project design that I needed to complete last week and wouldn’t have done so without your help. Thank you. Our work hours won’t be as bad from now on. You have my word.  _

_ Seto Kaiba  _

Jou read over the letter three times, unable to comprehend what he was seeing and sure that he was going insane. Was he dreaming? There’s no way that Kaiba would apologize AND say Thank you on any occasion, let alone say both and be so nice in a letter. Did Mokuba write this? Or did he demand that Seto give Jou the day off? That sounds about right. 

_ It’s not ideal.  _

_ But at least I am not getting fired today.  _

Jou carefully folded the note and put it in his bag. It was the only proof he had that his feelings for the brunette weren’t completely unjustified. Spurred by Mokuba or not, Kaiba did a nice thing for him by giving him the day off and not taking away his salary for two months. 

The blonde looked down at the tray and lifted the metal container that served to keep the food warm. His eyes widened. There were pancakes, eggs, and bacon on the plate. Placed at the corner was also a thermos that had coffee, another that had tea, and the third hot milk. Jou knew he needed to get to the doctor, but the clinic wasn’t going anywhere and the blonde was starving. He instantly dug in, moaning at how good the food tasted. He wished he had a way of thanking Kaiba somehow and made a mental note to eventually put aside some money for a gift for Mokuba and one for Kaiba. 

* * *

“The surgery may be covered by your insurance, Jounouchi, but the tests aren’t. We need a new batch. The old test results are out-dated,” the doctor said. Jou nodded quickly. That was fine. The tests don’t cost that much. 

“The usual 300,000, doc?” he asked optimistically. His smile dropped when the doctor shook his head. 

“It’s 500,000 now.” 

_ Okay.  _

_ Calm down, Jou.  _

_ That’s not so bad.  _

“I could get that in exactly nine weeks. I got a steady job now, doc. I’m good for it.” 

The doctor smiled widely and booked a slot for Jou to have the tests run. He gave Jou some eye drops to help with the blurriness and the pain in the meantime. 

“Straining your eyes so you could see something on a computer screen would make the pain worse, but it won’t damage your vision more than it does to anyone else’s,” the doctor had said. 

The blonde raced to the mansion, grinning like a maniac. It was the first time in forever that he felt so...free. He burst into Mokuba’s room, which the boy had said Jou could enter at any time, and told him the news, that the University Jou wanted was still open for admissions and would be for two more months. Mokuba hugged the blonde tightly, congratulating him, and they proceeded to play duel monsters afterward. 

* * *

Kaiba arrived home not knowing what to expect. Would the puppy still be miserable? Or did the day off lift his spirits? Did he forgive the brunette or was he still upset? 

**_He better have appreciated that note._ **

**_It took me and Mokuba three hours to perfect it with both of us having to compromise vigorously on what should and shouldn’t be included._ **

Kaiba could’ve especially used those three extra hours that day to make up for the fact that he had to cover Jou’s work as well. As much as the brunette hated to admit it, Jou was damn good at his job. All his past secretaries paid too much attention to the details, careful to plan every outcome of every response to every message, call, or email. They reviewed their work constantly to make sure it was professional. They were also all terrified of Kaiba. Ironically, the fact that Jou doesn’t give a single damn about Kaiba Corp was saving them both a lot of time and wasted effort. He was the best secretary Kaiba ever had. 

As the CEO passed by Jou’s room, he risked a quick peek inside and noticed that Jou wasn’t in his room. 

**_Is the puppy still out?_ **

**_It’s almost dawn._ **

The worry in Kaiba’s chest disappeared as soon as reached Mokuba’s room and found Jou and his brother asleep on the floor, clutching chess pieces with a board lying between them. He gently picked up his brother and tucked him into bed then shook Jou awake. The blonde’s eyes shot open instantly and he looked panicked until he noticed it was Kaiba. The brunette didn’t give much thought to his behavior, thinking he shook him too hard and place a finger on his own lips to let Jou know not to make a sound. The blonde nodded then left the room. Once Kaiba had exited as well and closed the door, Jou started stammering. 

“I-I am sorry. I didn’t mean t-to go against your r-rules or anything. Mokuba and I were just talking and-” 

“It’s fine,” Kaiba said, interrupting him, “It was very nice of you to keep my brother company.” 

**_I wish I could do that more often._ **

As if reading Kaiba’s thoughts, Jou’s features instantly soften and he placed a hand on Kaiba’s shoulder. 

“I’ll try to put in more work so you could come back here while he is still awake.” 

The brunette gave him a slight smile. He was also beyond relieved that Jou hadn’t brought up the note. It was one thing for the brunette to partially pour his heart out to the blonde, but it was another thing entirely for them to actually talk about it. Kaiba didn’t think he could handle that level of discomfort. 

**_We’ll never finish enough for me to come back here in time._ **

**_But it’s sweet that the puppy cares about my relationship with Mokuba._ **

“Get some sleep. You’re expected at Kaiba Corp at 10 AM tomorrow” the brunette said casually, then walked into his room and closed the door before Jou could respond. He glanced at Jou through the slightly open doorway to see the blonde’s confused expression then his wide smile, which instantly made any irritation that Kaiba had disappear. 


	7. Are we good?

Jou didn’t expect to find a driver waiting for him outside his room at 9:45 AM. He also never would’ve guessed that Kaiba would’ve gone to Kaiba Corp at 8 AM while letting Jou come in at 10. The blonde would’ve confronted Kaiba about it, but he had other things on his mind. He hadn’t missed the look of sadness that had crossed the brunette’s face when he spoke about Mokuba wanting company. Jou wanted to do everything in his power to help the Kaiba brothers have more time together, even if it meant he’d spend more time in front of the computer with his eyes threatening to fall out of their sockets. 

_ Eh...It doesn’t matter.  _

_ The eyedrops help big time.  _

So, Jou worked faster, carefully dodging clients’ and associates’ meaningless questions and sending the emails in bulk. He was done with all his tasks for the day by 9 PM and grinned. Just as he was opening Kaiba’s schedule to see what he could do to free up some time for the CEO, the brunette’s voice rang through the cubicle. 

“Go home, puppy.” 

Jou blushed furiously at the new nickname, mostly because of how much he liked it and how soft Kaiba’s soft was when the brunette said it. He shook his head and pressed the button to the weird intercom device. 

“It’s 9:00 PM, sir.” he said, careful not to be disrespectful with so many employees around. He didn’t want Kaiba to explode at him again. They were finally at a good place. Apparently, that didn’t matter. 

“Don’t question my decisions unless you want to be out of a job!” Kaiba yelled then clicked off the device. Jou blinked and sighed, but didn’t get a chance to even get up before Kaiba’s suddenly calm voice spoke through the device again. 

“I need you in the office immediately.” 

Jou took a deep breath and walked into the office, not knowing what to expect. Was Kaiba always this moody? 

The CEO didn’t look up as Jou entered, only saying “close the door” firmly. The blonde did as he was told and was surprised when Kaiba gestured he should take a seat. 

“How much work do you have left?” the brunette asked  **gently** . Jou’s head started to hurt. 

_ What is with him?  _

_ Right..it’s because of Mokuba.  _

“I don’t want you to baby me because Mokuba told you that I was upset. I can handle things, Kaiba. I can ‘work as you work’ and ‘leave as you leave’ like you said before,” Jou blurted, not knowing what else to do in the presence of a very inconsistent Seto Kaiba. 

The brunette pressed his lips together into a thin line then opened a random drawer in his desk and handed Jounouchi some papers. The blonde quirked his eyebrow at the sheets of random numbers in random cells. He looked back up at the brunette. 

“Am I supposed to-” he started. 

“Of course I don’t expect your puny brain to-” the CEO snapped, interrupting Jou. The blonde flinched on instinct and closed his eyes. He opened them again when he heard Kaiba clear his throat. The brunette looked...ashamed? That’s weird. 

“It’s my former secretary’s hours,” Kaiba said calmly. 

“Umm…” 

“She worked half as much as you do,” the brunette continued when he realized Jou was starting to feel bad about being unable to understand the sheets, “I was simply...joking when I told you that you’d have to work as many hours as I do. No secretary in the entire world does that. I just didn’t think you’d be so...willing.” 

Jou was more shocked at Kaiba’s words and tone than he was at the information being given to him. He felt stupid for falling for the prank. He was stupid! Kaiba could’ve been making fun of him or taking advantage of his stupidity, but instead the brunette was calmly and helpfully explaining the situation? 

“Kaiba, you okay?” Jou asked, then continued when he saw Kaiba’s confused expression, “You’re being very...different.” 

* * *

**_What do I say to that?_ **

**_He’s already taken up too much of my precious time!_ **

**_What idiot in the world needs their basic damn human rights explained to them?!_ **

**_I need to get rid of him now before I choke him to death._ **

Kaiba cleared his throat again, then spoke calmly. 

“I am perfectly fine. Now go home,” he said, then pulled out an envelope and passed it to the puppy. 

“What’s this?” 

**_OK NOW HE IS JUST DOING IT ON PURPOSE!_ **

“You’ll find out if you open it, won’t you?!” he yelled, standing up in anger. His heart sank as he watched Jou flinch like earlier. 

**_Is he...afraid of me?_ **

**_Is that why he’s been so different than he was in high-school?_ **

**_He’s afraid of my power over him?_ **

Now more than ever, Mokuba’s words made sense to Kaiba and the brunette knew that he needed to control his ‘temper’. He couldn’t stand the fact that he might be scaring the blonde. That was really the opposite of what he wanted to do. No matter how much of it a challenge it would be, Kaiba wouldn’t yell at the puppy, unless he really really deserves it. 

“um...Do you mind keeping it? I mean, giving it all to me in one check after 9 weeks? That would really help me out,” the blonde asked after he opened the envelope to find his weekly paycheck. He knew nothing would happen to it if he kept it somewhere in the mansion, but he was too scared to do that. For the past 19 years, all his money was stolen, no matter where he hid it. He couldn’t take another risk. He needed the tests and the surgery...bad enough that he would ask Seto Kaiba for a favor. 

“Why?” Kaiba asked, raising an eyebrow. It was an odd request. 

“There’s this place I want to apply to and I am saving up for it. It’s part of a whole series of payments.” the blonde said in one breathe then blushed. Kaiba found his nervous attitude amusing more than weird. 

“Fine. Don’t forget, though. Our contract only ends in Christmas. You can’t switch to part-time in the middle because you have classes,” the brunette said firmly and then turned back to his computer. 

**_Why isn’t he leaving?_ **

**_I don’t want him to go back to being a zombie._ **

“If it’s alright with you, I’d like to stay. I don’t got no computer at home and there’s something I want to do.” 

**_No._ **

**_You’re straining your eyes._ **

**_Don’t think I can’t see you squinting at the screen whenever I leave my office to go to a meeting._ **

“You’re not using my company’s resources for your personal gain, puppy. Now leave,” the brunette said firmly, then almost groaned when he saw that Jou wasn’t getting up. Suddenly, he felt a loose grasp on his arms and looked to find both the puppy’s hands gripping it and the blonde looking at him with wide, pleading, intoxicating honey-colored eyes. 

“Please, Kaiba,” Jou implored with a hopeful smile. 

A slight smile tugged at the brunette’s lips. His puppy’s eyes were too convincing. He couldn’t say no to the blonde, didn’t want to do anything to him that would upset him again. 

“Do whatever you want, but you can’t change your mind and want to leave early,” the CEO said firmly, trying to shake himself out of his stupor. The blonde nodded and raced out of the office, closing the door behind him. 

Kaiba sighed. That puppy would be his downfall. 

* * *

Much to Kaiba’s dismay, the puppy wouldn’t let up on the work hours thing. No matter how early the brunette got up for work, Jou would be waiting for him, and they would go to the office together. Kaiba continued to give Jou less work daily so the blonde would give up this strange mission of his and go home early like the rest of the employees. That didn’t work either. Somehow, the puppy always discovered exactly what Kaiba needed to be done and did it without the brunette asking. The CEO suspected that Mokuba had a hand in that and decided to talk to him about it whenever they encountered one another.

Whenever there was literally nothing Jou could do to help Kaiba, the blonde would still remain in his cubicle and do some mysterious work that Kaiba didn’t know anything about. The brunette guessed that Jou was doing something that had to do with the university applications he had mentioned. Once again, the CEO was wrong. 

It had been a month since Jou started working at Kaiba Corp and the brunette had to admit that the blonde made the CEO’s workload much less tiring. Kaiba was still miserable, though. His relationship with both his brother and Jou were basically non-existent. Kaiba and Jou left for work just before Mokuba left for school and they wouldn’t come back until the black-haired boy was fast asleep. As for the puppy...he was trying to hide it, but Kaiba could tell that he was exhausted. The blonde would sleep in the limo on their way to and back from work. When they arrived back, he would race up to his room and fall asleep instantly. The only sentences Kaiba had spoken to him in the past three weeks were “why aren’t you done yet?” and “Have it done by 9.” The brunette felt awful, but what could he do? The puppy was too stubborn. 

He was surprised on the last friday of the month when, right before they left, his speaker device sounded. 

“Sir, can I come into the office for a moment? I have a...proposal?” 

Kaiba’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What was the puppy up to now? 

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Kaiba asked over the speaker. Though he refrained from yelling at Jou, he found that making the blonde squirm was just as fun and didn’t hurt the puppy’s feelings or scare him in the same way. 

“Er...telling you?” 

Kaiba sighed and told him to come in. He looked at the ground and bit his lip as he closed the door. What’s the puppy so nervous about? The brunette remained silent as Jou came closer to the desk but didn’t take a seat. Suddenly the blonde took in a deep breath and started to speak quickly, mashing all his words together to the point where Kaiba could barely understand him. 

“I know you and I have a work relationship and I shouldn’t intervene in your personal life or anything and I Know you said I shouldn’t touch your schedule unless you ask me to because it’s very delicate and all, but I noticed you and Mokuba don’t really spend any time together, not that I am judging you or anything. I can’t begin to imagine how tough it’s been to run this company and I am sure you’re being a great brother, but there can be room for improvement. There were also some other reasons such as the fact that you never get any decent breakfast, lunch, or dinner and that you never sleep more than five hours a night and that just ain’t right. I just kept a close tab on our work and what I can do more to help you and how we can push things to fit your needs more. There are some small tasks you do that I could get the hang of and then it won’t just be all on you, you know? I am pretty sure this schedule will work if you’re up for it. I didn’t really change your original one. This is just a draft, but I can change the other one, too. But, then again, it’s up to you.” 

After his painfully long rant, Jou thrust some papers into Kaiba’s hands, continuing to look at the floor, blushing furiously. The brunette blinked twice and looked down. His eyes widened. The schedule that the puppy made could actually work and, more shockingly, actually had breaks for meals embedded in it. Each day started at 9:00 AM and ended at 8 PM. 11 hours would be the shortest among of time that Kaiba had ever worked in one day, but if he divided the tasks the way Jou suggested in his messy notes, he could get the same amount of work done and...he could spend at least an hour with Mokuba every day. 

“It’s fine if you hate it,” he heard the blonde whisper, “it was just one of my stupid ideas.” 

Kaiba’s eyes snapped up to find the puppy coming closer, his hands reaching for the papers to take them away, apparently scolding himself for the idea. It was then that the brunette realized he had been staring at the schedule and notes for too long. 

**_How can the puppy think this is stupid?_ **

**_He must’ve put so much effort into this._ **

**_And it was all for me and Mokuba._ **

**_How can someone be that thoughtful?_ **

Kaiba’s hand grabbed Jou’s arm as the blonde reached for the papers. Honey-colored eyes snapped up and widened. The brunette stood quickly and crashed his lips on the blonde’s before he could chicken out. There was nothing he could say that would make Jou understand how much the schedule meant to him, but maybe the kiss could communicate what the CEO simply couldn’t. 

**_Thank you._ **

**_You’re amazing._ **

**_I wish you were mine._ **

**_I wish there was something I could give you._ **

They pulled away from each other after a minute, panting for breath. Kaiba’s eyes were closed as he whispered “thank you.” 

With that, the brunette sat back at his desk and looked at his computer. 

“We’ll try it this week,” he said firmly, “If it works, I would like you to update my original schedule with the necessary changes.” 

“Okay.”

Kaiba closed his eyes once more when he heard his office door closing and touched his lips, where Jou’s were connected only moments before. Now more than ever, he was determined to make the puppy his. 


	8. First Date

Jou slept in the limo ride back as he usually does and Kaiba couldn’t help but stare at the puppy, noticing how his face was contorted in pain. The brunette suddenly had this urge to protect the blonde and get rid of anyone who was making him suffer. 

He gently shook Jou awake when they arrived and led the sleepy puppy into the house. As soon as they arrived at their hallway, there was an awkward silence. Kaiba didn’t want to be the one to initiate a kiss twice in one day, but, at the same time, he felt a need to kiss the blonde goodnight, if only to reassure himself that they wouldn’t go back to being just co-workers in the morning. Unless…

**_Did he just kiss back because I am his boss?_ **

**_He wouldn’t do that, right?_ **

**_He would tell me if I cross any boundaries?_ **

Within a sinking feeling, the brunette realized that the puppy wouldn’t say anything. The old Jou would’ve, but he wasn’t like that anymore. He was more nervous and unsure of himself than Kaiba had ever seen him. For the first time, the CEO wondered what had brought upon the change. 

“Umm...Kaiba, listen. I-I really need this job, okay? More than I’ve ever needed anything and...You understand what I am saying, right?” the blonde suddenly whispered, looking at the ground. 

**_I most definitely do NOT understand._ **

**_It sounds like the puppy is breaking up with me before we even get together._ **

**_Why would he fear for his job?_ **

**_I’ve shown him more appreciation than I’ve shown in all my years as a CEO combined._ **

**_Or does he mean that he doesn’t want to be with me at all._ **

“Try making sure what you’re about to say makes sense before opening your mouth, you stupid mutt!” Kaiba yelled, then hurriedly went into the nearest room. He was too angry. He needed to calm down before doing anything. 

“I don’t think he was saying no, big brother,” he heard Mokuba say from his bed and turned around. His brother was sitting up and looking at him with sympathy. 

“Mokuba...I’m sorry if I woke you up.” the brunette said quietly and turned to walk out. His brother’s voice stopped him. 

“Don’t go. It’s okay. I am up anyway, so aren’t you going to tell me what happened?” 

Kaiba sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed then started recounting all the details of the past hour. When he was done, Mokuba looked ecstatic, and Kaiba just groaned. 

“What’s that smile for? He doesn’t even want to.” 

“He never said that, Seto. He just said he cares about his job. You need to reassure him that you two being together won’t jeopardize anything.” 

“Mokuba,” the CEO started, pinching the bridge of his nose, “I don’t know how more reassuring I can possibly be.” 

At that, the black-haired brother just laughed. 

“It doesn’t have to be verbal or written this time. Just somehow prove to him that you are very serious about this and won’t fire him or whatever.” Mokuba said, then yawned loudly. Kaiba gave a slight smile then kissed his brother’s forehead and tucked him in. 

“I am sure I’ll think of something,” the brunette said quietly as he walked out. 

  
  


* * *

Jou tried not to give the kiss much thought, though he failed miserably. His insides were screaming at him that this was the universe finally giving him something good in his life, something to look forward to. But, deep down, he couldn’t stop worrying. What would happen when Kaiba inevitably grew tired of Jou, when the CEO finds out about the blonde’s past? Would he only end whatever relationship they had? Or would he go so far as to fire Jou as well? If that happened, it would be the end of him. In a twisted way, Jou’s health and life were in Kaiba’s hands, and, as much as the blonde liked the brunette, Jou didn’t like that. It wasn’t safe. It wasn’t guaranteed. Nothing in Jou’s life was. 

_ I just need to get through this month.  _

_ Then, I’ll have enough for the tests.  _

_ I’ll have them, then get the surgery.  _

_ Then I can be with him without worrying about my job.  _

_ It won’t matter that much if I get fired after that.  _

_ I’ll be able to see. I could live freely, even if it’s on the damn streets.  _

He slept in the limo again on their way to work. He hated doing that. He didn’t like the vulnerability that came with falling asleep in public places, but he was exhausted and determined to get enough rest to function properly. He wanted the new schedule he created to work. He cared a lot about the Kaiba brothers’ happiness and the blonde, himself, would get more rest if the schedule worked out. 

He was doing well on time and finishing tasks quicker than he ever thought possible, although it might’ve just been the fact that he wanted to get the older Kaiba home to his brother even earlier than the new schedule had planned. Jou knew that he had mad Kaiba angry the night earlier and the blonde wanted to make it up to the CEO in any way possible. They hadn’t even spoken properly about their fight, remaining silent until they parted ways in the halls of the Kaiba Corp building. They couldn’t speak now, though. They both had a lot of other tasks left and needed to hurry. 

“Puppy, come into the office.” 

The blonde’s eyes widened and he gulped. Was Kaiba going to fire him? He couldn’t have made the CEO that mad. He hadn’t barely said two words to him. 

_ Oh God.  _

_ This is it.  _

_ He is going to get rid of me.  _

_ How could I have been so stupid?  _

_ Why did I say anything?  _

_ I should’ve let him do whatever he wanted.  _

_ Now, I’ll be out of a job.  _

_ My life is over.  _

“P-please let me stay until the end of the week. Y-you don’t have to even see me. I’ll come earlier and leave later than you. I-I just really want the schedule to work,” the blonde sobbed out when he entered the office, in tears by the time he closed the door behind him. He meant every word. Kaiba could be an ass all he wanted. Mokuba was still Jou’s friend and the blonde would see to it that the black-haired boy gets to spend time with his brother. 

“Jounouchi,” he heard the brunette say softly. Jou raised his head and was met with concerned blue eyes. The CEO suddenly got up, took Jou’s hand, dragged him back to the desk, and sat the blonde down on  **Kaiba’s** seat, then knelt in front of him with a sad smile. The brunette placed a hand on Jou’s cheek, forcing the blonde to look up. 

“I’m not firing you, puppy. I don’t know what made you think your job was in jeopardy, but I wanted to ease your fear,” he said gently, then gestured to a strange paper that was laid out on his desk, “That is a contract that says if I fire you before your original contract is up, I’ll have to pay you 10,000,000 yen. It’s binding and there are no loopholes. I was calling you in here to have you sign it.” 

_ 10...10 million?!  _

_ Is he serious?  _

The blonde’s heart warmed at the effort Kaiba was putting into making him feel better, not that it changed Jou’s perspective one bit. 

_ You’re an idiot, Kaiba.  _

_ An idiot who shouldn’t make promises he can’t keep.  _

_ You’ll see. You’re going to get sick of me one day and regret ever drawing up this contract.  _

_ Everyone tosses me aside eventually.  _

_ It’s not their fault I’m a broken, repulsive plaything.  _

_ That’s just the life I was dealt.  _

Strangely enough, the gesture was still well-received and Jou had calmed down entirely. He still feared for his job, but at least, now, when Kaiba got rid of him, he’d have enough money to both do the tests  **and** have the surgery. It would be fine. 

“Thank you, sir,” the blonde said, wiping the tears at his cheeks with his hands, then quickly signing the document. 

“Would you like to have dinner with me tonight? If your schedule works, and I know it will, we’ll be off work by 9.” 

Jou slowly shook his head. He couldn’t go anywhere.

“I..umm...I ain’t got no cash, Kaiba and I don’t want you paying for everything,” he said quietly, looking at the floor, then got off Kaiba’s seat, turning his back to the brunette, “we can have dinner at home, though. If it’s all the same to you?” 

Once he heard Kaiba’s hum of approval, Jou nodded and left the office, not looking back at the CEO, and went instantly to his desk. Despite all his fears, Jou couldn’t help but smile, a little excited for the simple dinner. It meant a lot to him that Kaiba didn’t fight him on the money issue and agreed to have dinner at the house. So far, the brunette wasn’t acting like Jou’s former bosses, so the blonde felt like he could relax. He was safe. His job was safe. He had Kaiba’s interest. For now. 

* * *

“Thank you for agreeing to this,” the blonde said as they walked into the mansion at 9:20 sharp. The brunette gave him a puzzled look and stopped in front of the door to the dining room. 

“I was the one who asked,” he said slowly, as if testing Jou’s hearing. The blonde found Kaiba’s confused expression a bit cute, though. 

“Yeah, I know. I know. Just...thanks for agreeing for it to be here and all.” 

At that, Kaiba smirked and said “you try saying no to a crying puppy.” 

Jounouchi blushed furiously, both embarrassed about the situation and angry that Kaiba would bring it up now. Was the brunette trying to humiliate him?

“It’s not like I was crying for no reason. I know you don’t get it, moneybags, but any regular employer out there would’ve booted my ass outta their company if the same thing had happened with them. You should’ve seen what that stupid Cheesy Crisps manager did when…” the blonde said loudly, then clamped his mouth shut as a dark shadow passed across the brunette’s face and Kaiba scowled. Jou continued “Hiroto said no to his advances.” 

When Kaiba didn’t say anything and continued to stare wide-eyed at the blonde, Jou put his face in his hands and groaned. 

“I’ve just completely ruined the night, haven’t I? Well, you’ve lasted longer with me than I thought you would, I’ll give ya that,” he said, then turned to leave. Before he could take a single step, Kaiba grabbed his arm and dragged him into the dining room. Jou tried to hide his flinch when he was forced to sit down on a seat at the table.

_ He won’t hurt me.  _

_ He won’t hurt me.  _

_ I think.  _

“Shut up and be impressed already,” the brunette told Jou firmly as he took a seat across from the blonde. 

And Jou was  **very** impressed. Somehow, the brunette had arranged for the entire dining room to be remodeled into a more romantic setting. The long brown table that used to be there was replaced by a small, round one that fit two people exactly. It was covered with a white cloth, above which candles and wine glasses were placed. The dining room was fancier than any restaurant Jou had seen before. The CEO had somehow brought the ‘dine-out’ setting into the room because Jou wouldn’t eat out with him. His heart warmed at the thought that Kaiba did all this for  **him** . He didn’t think anyone would care about his comfort or happiness enough to do this. 

“Thank you. It’s beautiful in here,” he whispered breathlessly. 

“It was the servants who did all of this. I merely instructed them.” 

“You know what I mean, Kaiba,” Jou said, rolling his eyes. The CEO smirked. 

“I have an IQ of 160. I  **always** know what you mean.” 

They were both silent for a moment before Jou said “I can’t believe..” at the same time that Kaiba said “I really…”

Kaiba chuckled and said “You go.” 

“I was just going to say I can’t believe we actually made it back before 10. It’s a miracle,” the blonde said, tired from the long day, but excited at the fact that they would both get adequate rest if they kept at their current pace. Kaiba smiled at him lovingly. 

“And I was going to say I appreciate all the work you’ve put in for the schedule. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for, puppy.” 

“Yeah, right,” Jou said, then snorted before realizing he said it out loud and looked down in embarrassment. Suddenly he felt Kaiba grasp his hand on the table and looked up. Kaiba still had a soft expression on his face. 

“I don’t say things I don’t mean, puppy. It’s not a compliment. I’ve had 26 secretaries before you and all they did was complain about the workload. Not one of them thought of a method to lessen it as you have. You really fascinate me, Jounuchi, in more ways than one.” 

Jounouchi couldn’t believe his ears. Was Kaiba really saying those things? The brunette caught on to Jou’s train of thoughts and laughed slightly.

“I am not very good at emotional conversations, puppy, which is why you might find that I don’t show my appreciation a lot. That doesn’t mean I take everything I have for granted,” he said quietly, giving the blonde’s hand a firm squeeze. 

“I am glad I could help, Kaiba.” 

They both smiled at each other for a moment before a servant in a suit came to the table with  **menus** . 

“You really went all out, huh?” Jou asked with a giggle. Kaiba smiled but said nothing as Jou scanned the menu. The blonde looked up at him in confusion, then asked “What? Aren’t you going to order anything?” 

“I already know what I want. I personally chose the items and designed the menu,” the brunette said with a nod. 

“Are you sure you know what you want? You aren’t going to send the poor guy back to the kitchen a thousand times?” Jou joked, recalling their experience at Cheesy Crisps, then he froze. 

_ Did I just make things awkward?  _

_ Damn it.  _

_ Why did I have to bring that up?  _

“I’m not going to do that,” Kaiba said firmly, “afterall, there’s no reason I want to see  **him** more than once.” 

Jou blushed as he realized what Kaiba meant. The humiliating experience he had as a waiter went to the back of his mind. He couldn’t really be mad at Kaiba after everything the CEO did for him. For the first time in his life, Jou could actually say he felt safe and comfortable in a place. 

The waiter came back and took their orders, bringing a bottle of wine with him and proceeding to pour some into Kaiba’s glass. Jou could guess it was expensive because he couldn’t pronounce its name. When the waiter brought the bottle over to Jounouchi’s glass, though, the blonde placed a firm hand over it, shaking his head frantically. Alcohol brought up some very bad memories. He had long ago promised never to touch the stuff and could never really see what the fuss was all about. 

“Do you not like it? I can order any kind you like,” Kaiba suddenly said, looking at Jou with a raised eyebrow. 

“Nah. Thanks, Kaiba, but I don’t drink,” he said firmly. He wasn’t the best employee when it came to work ethics, mostly because of what past employers asked of him, but this was the one thing that was his and he wouldn’t go back on it for anything. His other employers weren’t very pleased about it, but he was hoping Kaiba wouldn’t push him. 

And the brunette didn’t. He surprised Joey by nodding his head slightly then telling the waiter to take the wine and  **both** their cups away. 

“Y-you didn’t have to do that. I wouldn’t have minded if you had some,” he said once the guy had left. Kaiba just smirked. 

“Really? You wouldn’t have minded at all?” Kaiba asked and Jou shook his head, then the brunette continued “I have met with a lot of clients for dinner, puppy. They only refuse to drink if they are recovering alcoholics, are repulsed by alcohol, or have had bad experiences with it. In all cases, they become uncomfortable with anyone who consumes alcohol in their presence. You don’t have to lie to me.” 

Jounouchi gulped. He had underestimated Kaiba’s ability to read people. Everything the brunette said was on point, and the blonde knew he needed to offer an explanation now. 

“Listen, Kaiba, I-” Jou started, not really knowing how he would continue.

“You don’t have to tell me right now, either,” the brunette said, interrupting Jou, then offered him a reassuring smile, and asked if he wanted a soda. 

“That sounds perfect,” Jou said with a smile. In that moment, he found himself admiring the man in front of him more than he ever had before. 

_ Maybe it’ll be alright.  _


	9. Almost Perfect

A week later, both Kaiba and Jou were well-rested and happy. Their new schedule gave them time to relax and they took advantage of it by having lunch dates in Kaiba’s office every day. The brunette kept suggesting that they go out, but Jou wasn’t having it. He internally swore he’d make it up to Kaiba after his surgery. 

Jou was just about to head to bed when Kaiba knocked on his door and came in without waiting for an answer. Jou snorted. 

_ Typical.  _

“Do you not want dinner?” the brunette asked with a raised eyebrow, standing in the doorway. 

“Umm...I thought you were hanging with Mokuba today?” Jou asked, weirded out by Kaiba’s question. The brunette smiled slightly. 

“Yeah, he’ll be there,” the brunette said, “He’s been whining about not getting to see you for ages now.” 

“Really? I figured he’d be so busy having fun with ya, he wouldn’t even notice,” Jou joked, but Kaiba frowned slightly. 

“Well, that’s not the case,” the brunette said slowly, then opened the door wider, “I’d suggest you come. Mokuba eats dinner in front of the TV. You can do the same when you have dinner with us. I know that’s a luxury that you wouldn’t want to miss.” 

With that, Kaiba left. Jou only stood there for a second before he decided he had nothing to lose. Kaiba wouldn’t have invited him if he didn’t want him there. Jou was also almost sure that Mokuba liked having him around. 

Jou arrived at the sitting room to an odd sight. Kaiba and Mokuba were both seated on the floor, in their pajamas, with their plates placed on a low, wooden table in front of them, eating mini sandwiches with their hands. Jou didn’t even think Kaiba knew what finger food was, let alone that he was open to eating it, and on the floor, no less. The blonde stole quick glances at the older brother as Mokuba started explaining some movie to the brunette, who furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. Seto Kaiba was the perfect man, Jou had decided that already, but seeing him with his brother again only reaffirmed it. Jou never wanted to let him go, even if it might not be his choice later on. He wanted to keep him as long as possible. 

“If he is intelligent enough to build complex machinery that produces spider-web-like material, then he should’ve been smart enough not to get bitten by a spider in the first place,” Kaiba said firmly, looking at the screen in contempt as if it insulted him. Mokuba facepalmed, but smiled widely when he saw Jou. 

“You surely know how to take the fun out of what were supposed to be comics, Kaiba,” Jou said, prepared to plop down next to Mokuba. He was surprised when the younger brother scooted away from Kaiba and patted the spot between them. 

_ Wait...does Mokuba know?  _

Jou shrugged it off as an innocent gesture and sat down. Kaiba couldn’t have told Mokuba about them. They hadn’t even discussed amongst the two of them. Jou didn’t know if they were boyfriends or just friends or just employer and employee. Okay, maybe not that last one. He was sure that this wasn’t about sex for Kaiba. It’s been a week and the only thing Kaiba ever initiated was the daily ‘goodnight kiss’ and ‘goodmorning kiss.’ If he was just a patient pervy boss, he wouldn’t have offered Jou that 10 million Yen contract, and he  **definitely** wouldn’t have told his younger brother about them having a relationship. 

The blonde jumped when he suddenly felt Kaiba’s hand touch his own and their fingers interlocking. He looked at the brunette, whose face betrayed nothing and was still turned towards the TV. 

“Mokuba, your stupid show is causing my puppy to think too hard,” he heard Kaiba say. Things seemed to go in slow motion as Mokuba huffed and turned the channel, only to come face-to-face with the Cheesy Crisps building and a live stream of the manager being dragged out in cuffs with the accusations of statutory rape and sexual harassment. In one quick move, Kaiba took the remote and turned the channel back then set it down as if nothing happened. 

“I’ve changed my mind. Tell me more about the stupid show. Maybe I’ll like it,” he said casually, but Mokuba just shook his head. 

“They-they were taking Mr. Mazuki. Why? Shouldn’t we help him? He has been nothing but kind to us. He was supposed to take me to the zoo this Tuesday with Akari and Eji. Shouldn’t I call them? I should call them. That’s what I would want them to do if the situations were reversed,” Mokuba said in one breathe, then got up to get the phone. Kaiba grabbed his wrist to stop him and gently shook his head with a smile. 

“I cannot help him, Mokuba. I am sure if he is innocent, then things will turn out okay. Their phone is probably busy at the moment, but I know they are your friends, so I’ll drive you over there tomorrow if you’d like?” 

Mokuba looked confused, but nodded either way. He lowered his head to the table as he proceeded to eat in very small bites. Jou, who hadn’t said anything since he saw the live report, was saddened by Mokuba’s reaction and understood Kaiba’s need to protect him from this. 

“Hey, buddy. How much would you bet that I could win against you if you use your brother’s deck and I use yours?” Jou said, nudging the suddenly quiet Mokuba. The black-haired boy burst out laughing, and Jou pretended to be annoyed. 

“I-I am sorry, Jou. You’re really good, but no one could beat my big brother’s deck, even if it’s not him playing with it. Adding onto that, you’ll be playing with cards you’ve never seen before. Maybe you’ll have a slightly better chance if you go get your own deck from your house, but you’ll still lose.” 

“Why did you leave your deck back there?” came Kaiba’s question. The brunette was clearly relieved they were no longer talking about the live report, but surprised by Mokuba’s revelation. 

Jou looked down at his lap and said “I guess I just forgot. We came here all of a sudden. I didn’t have time to pack everything.” 

_ And my father sold the rare cards then torched the rest a long time ago... _

Kaiba looked convinced, but pulled out his deck and handed it to Mokuba who looked surprised. 

“Never back down from a challenge, Mokuba,” he said firmly. Mokuba nodded with a smile, then went off to get his own deck for Jou. 

“Thank you,” the brunette said, looking lovingly at Jou with piercing blue eyes, “It means a lot to me that you care about Mokuba so much.” 

“Of course, I do,” the blonde murmured, then continued in a whisper “Did you have something to do with…” 

At that, Kaiba looked to his plate again and asked quietly “would you be angry if I did?” 

Jou shook his head and smiled at the brunette. He couldn’t believe it. Kaiba had probably gone through a lot of trouble to prove Mazuki’s guilt. The man was smart and left no trail behind. Jou was also sure none of the employees would talk; they valued their jobs too much. The blonde’s heart warmed at how protective of him Kaiba was. Even if the brunette was doing it to protect others and not Jou, the blonde couldn’t help but love Kaiba even more. He had put away the man who had humiliated and degraded Jou so much over the last couple of years. That was everything. 

_ Love?  _

_ Did I really just think that?  _

_ Well, he’s perfect.  _

_ How can I not love him?  _

Mokuba returned with his own deck within a few seconds and Jou begrudgingly let Kaiba’s hand go so he could play, but was perfectly content with just playing the game as Kaiba watched them from the side. 

Later that night, though, Jou wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. He was too nervous, but he wanted to test the waters, perhaps see what it was like. He had always heard about how exciting and amazing sex was when it was with the right person. The blonde had never been with anyone consensually, and he didn’t really want Kaiba to touch him that way. Jou couldn’t even touch himself that way without having flashbacks, freaking out, and breaking down. But he did want to touch Kaiba, so see if they would both enjoy that. He wanted to pleasure the brunette and know him more intimately, he just didn’t know what to say as Kaiba carried the sleeping Mokuba into his room, then came out and leaned in for a goodnight kiss. 

When their lips were one centimeter away, though, the brunette stopped and smirked. 

“I can’t read your thoughts, puppy. If you want something, you’re going to have to ask for it,” he whispered in the blonde’s ear. Jou froze. Kaiba’s lips were too close to his neck. His body was too close to the blonde’s. He could do whatever he wanted with him. Jou was freaking out. He couldn’t do this. He needed to have control. He gently placed his hands on Kaiba’s chest and pushed him away. The brunette looked hurt, though. Jou didn’t want that. He gulped and asked the question quietly. 

“Do you mind if I try something?” he asked quietly, afraid Kaiba would already be put off by his shyness. He imagined the brunette to be rough and quick, one to chase pleasure and not care for romance or foreplay or long sessions of love-making. 

“Okay,” he heard Kaiba say slowly. There was definitely uncertainty in his voice, though. Jou really hoped to change that. He took Kaiba’s hand, led the brunette to his own bedroom, and was surprisingly not met with any resistance. Kaiba still looked confused, but willing as Jou sat him down on the bed. 

“Could you close your eyes and lay back? And not open them again until I say so?” Jou asked, looking at the ground. He heard Kaiba sigh then felt the brunette’s hand on his chin, yanking it up and forcing him to look at Kaiba. 

“I didn’t mean that we had to do something. If you’re not sure about...whatever it is that you want to do here, we don’t have to do it. I don’t mind waiting. You’ll find I am a very patient guy, puppy.” 

Kaiba’s gentle words and voice only made Jou more determined. He wanted to get over his fears and be intimate with Kaiba. The blonde looked at the brunette with a serious expression and said “I’m sure.” firmly. 

The brunette only nodded in response before complying, closing his eyes, and laying back on the bed. Jou was surprised Kaiba wasn’t fighting for dominance or laughing in the blonde’s face at this point. He gathered up all his courage, sat on the floor at the foot of the bed and put his hands on Kaiba’s thighs. 

“Don’t touch my hair while I do this, alright?” Jou asked before quickly pulling down Kaiba’s pants and underwear and taking Kaiba in his mouth fully. The brunette’s breath hitched. His voice cracked as he moaned with pleasure. Soon, his forehead became sweaty and he gripped the blankets around him to prevent his hands from grasping Jou’s hair as he writhed because of Jou’s tactics. The blonde kept his eyes open and firmly placed on Kaiba. He couldn’t look away or...he might forget who was with him, might remember some unpleasant things and freak out. He had to be sure he was doing this to his lover, wasn’t being forced, and that he wanted to. To his surprise, he was actually enjoying it, watching Kaiba fall apart because of him, and moan out “ohhh, puppy” like that was exciting him. It was the first time that Jou ever felt like this. 

After it was over, Jou climbed onto the bed and told Kaiba to open his eyes, which the brunette instantly did. The blonde looked away and bit his lip, unsure how ‘satisfactory’ what he did was. 

“Did you...like that?” he asked quietly. He instantly felt himself being pulled down by his arms and was laying on his back next to Kaiba, who was on his side and looking down at the blonde with a smirk. 

“You’re really something else,” the brunette murmured. Jou smiled, then gasped as Kaiba’s left hand found his crotch and was teasing his waistband. The blonde quickly grabbed the brunette’s hand with both of his, halting his movement. Kaiba furrowed his brows and frowned as he looked at Jou, awaiting an explanation. 

“Umm…” the blonde started, scrambling in his brain to find a rational excuse for not wanting pleasure, “I kind of have a UTI. I can’t really...you know.” 

Upon seeing the furious look on the brunette’s face, Jou quickly added “It wasn’t from anything like that, Kaiba! I...my immune system is just real bad. You’ve been with me every second since I started the job, when would I have had time to sneak away and get laid?” 

The brunette took his hand away from Jou’s pants and exhaled shakingly, then seemed to relax. 

“You’re right, puppy. I guess that’s the best perk of our position. I can keep an eye on you forever.” 

Suddenly, a voice in Jou’s head told him to get out now. He didn’t like where this conversation was going one bit. 

“I still want my freedom, Kaiba,” he said, then winced at how harsh the words sounded. He looked at Kaiba. The brunette’s face had softened, and he was smiling. 

“It was a joke, Jou. I won’t make another one like it based on how you reacted, though,” the brunette said hurriedly but firmly, “Perhaps you should go to the clinic. We can take a raincheck for a week.” 

Jou gulped. What would he say in a week? Maybe he can distract the brunette? Maybe Kaiba would forget by then? 

“Y-yeah, Kaiba, sure,” Jou said. Had Kaiba been paying attention, he would’ve noticed how shaky Jou’s voice was, but the brunette was long gone in a post-orgasmic bliss and was already drifting into sleep. 


	10. His Past

Kaiba couldn’t remember a single time in his life he had been as relaxed as he was now. His puppy had been very...excited for the past week, wanting to touch Kaiba every night. The brunette suspected that Jou just mostly enjoyed being the dominant one for once and wanted to it as often as possible. That devious puppy. People mostly look down on those submissive in bed, but Kaiba didn’t really care. He was getting off. Why would he complain about that? And his puppy seemed very pleased with the arrangement as well, which only made the brunette more willing to relinquish his control. 

A part of him felt bad that he couldn’t give back to Jou during that week, and another felt crazy with lust. He just wanted to taste and feel Jou all over. He would get to do that tonight. Jou promised he had gone to the clinic and taken the necessary medicine, so his infection should be as good as gone now. Kaiba couldn’t wait to get home, but tried not to be so distracted as to not finish his work for the day. 

Then, finally,  **finally** , it was 9 PM. They could leave. Kaiba had all kinds of plans for the night. Tonight, he’d own Jou’s body like no one else ever had, he’d give the blonde pleasure like he never felt before. They would finally experience each other fully. What Kaiba lacked in emotional capacity, he made up for by being a fierce, yet caring lover in bed. He couldn’t wait to see his puppy moan and writhe underneath him. Just the thought of it made blood travel to places it shouldn’t when he was in public. But, it didn’t really matter. They were in the limo and almost home. Jou just smiled at him when he caught him staring. Did the blonde forget that today was the day? How could he? He’s probably just as excited but bad at showing it. 

When they entered the mansion, Kaiba didn’t go to his room to get changed like he usually does. He couldn’t wait a single second. Instead, he followed the blonde into his room and quietly shut the door. Jou, who hadn’t even turned on the lights in his room yet, jumped when the brunette spun him so they could face each other and pinned him against the wall. He cupped Jou through his jeans then captured the blonde’s mouth in a very sensual kiss. 

“Kaiba, wha-?” Jou asked breathlessly as the brunette unzipped his jeans and got down on his knees. 

**_I guess he did forget._ **

**_It doesn’t matter._ **

**_I am going to make you feel things you’ve never felt in your entire life, puppy._ **

“No talking,” the brunette whispered, his breath hot on Jou’s crotch, “I don’t want Mokuba to know we are home and come barging in here. That would be a huge mood-killer, don’t you think?” 

Jou didn’t say anything, but Kaiba could hear his breath quicken and become shallow. The brunette smirked, thinking his puppy was already turned on. It happened in a split-second. Kaiba brought Jou’s boxers down, placed his hands on the blonde’s hips, and took him in his mouth. He had barely begun to move when the blonde suddenly cried out, shoved Kaiba to the floor, and screamed “Don’t touch me! Get off!” 

Kaiba didn’t get up. He couldn’t. He blinked twice before the situation really sunk. The CEO was  **on his knees** in front of Jou, a position he had never before taken for a lover, and he was pushed off. 

Suddenly, the previous month and a half of their relationship flashed in Kaiba’s brain. The letter. The dinners. The contract. Mokuba. The intimacy. The emotions. The confessions. The conversations. Kaiba had fully surrendered himself to Jou; he had been more vulnerable with the man than he had been with everyone he had ever met combined. He had shown Jou his true self and let him in in every single way imaginable. He let Jou take dominance over him, and he was... **rejected** , lying on the floor like filth at Jou’s feet. This was why he hadn’t gotten in serious relationships, why he didn’t want any friends. He didn’t want to be hurt and the fact that Jou knew that and still pushed Kaiba away in disgust made things a thousand times worse. The CEO felt foolish, betrayed, and  **humiliated** . He swore to himself that he’d never be in this position. Ever. And, yet, Jounouchi had put him in it and Kaiba couldn’t possibly blame anyone but himself. 

“Are you in there, Jou? I heard-” Kaiba heard his younger brother say as the black-haired boy opened the door, came in, and turned on the lights, “big brother! Are you okay?” 

Kaiba blinked. He had to keep his emotions under control. Yes, he and Mokuba told each other everything, but he wouldn’t let his brother see him break down. No one saw him uncomposed and Mokuba wasn’t an exception. To think, Kaiba actually hoped that Jou  **would be** . He cleared his throat. 

“I am perfectly fine, Moki. Jou and I were just speaking. We’re done now.” 

As the brunette got up, took Mokuba’s hand and walked out of the room, he hoped with all his heart that Jou would call his name, offer any explanation. Kaiba wouldn’t have forgiven him right away, but it didn’t take a genius to see that the brunette was hurt by Jou’s actions. 

**_Does he just not care?_ **

That thought hurt more than anything. He suddenly didn’t feel like eating. He let go of Mokuba’s hand, shut the door behind them, and looked away from his brother, sure the younger one would be able to tell his emotions in an instant. 

“I apologize, Mokuba. I forgot something at the office, and won’t be able to join you for dinner as a result,” he said firmly and turned in the direction of the front doors, “goodnight.” 

  
  


* * *

Kaiba didn’t get a wink of sleep that night. He stayed up working on the next day’s work, like he used to before Jou came into the picture and convinced him that sleeping more makes one more productive. And, of course, he was right. Stupid mutt. 

He didn’t want to have to see Jou at all that day and was going to make up some excuse about having to work late to avoid going back in the limo with him. Before their relationship started, the CEO had  **stupidly** promised the puppy that their professional relationship would remain intact regardless of what happened in their personal lives. Now though...he was going to have to find a new place for Jou to stay or arrange for them to take separate rides to and from work. One thing was for sure. He  **never** wanted to see Jou again. The blonde had humiliated him enough for a lifetime. 

“Kaiba, you got a sec?” came the puppy’s voice from the door. 

Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, Jou had to make this more difficult for the both of them by ‘leaving it on good terms.’ Why else would the blonde want to speak to him? He was clearly afraid for his job, like he had been since the beginning. That’s all Jou cared about. Without waiting for Kaiba’s reply, the puppy hesitantly closed the office door behind him, walked up to the desk with a shy smile, and sat across from the brunette. 

“I was thinking we could try some of the restaurants you wanted to go to,” the blonde said cheerfully, looking Kaiba directly in the eye. The brunette’s eye twitched in anger. He wouldn’t explode at an employee because of a personal matter. He wouldn’t let his emotions get the better of him again. This was business and Jou was a damn good secretary. He needed to remind himself of that before he did something he regretted. Though 10 million Yen seemed like a small price to pay so he wouldn’t have to see Jou again, firing the blonde would prove that Kaiba has also surrendered his professional side. He didn’t. He couldn’t. The CEO was determined to put this behind him once and for all. He sighed and started to speak. 

“You don’t need to do that, Jounouchi,” he said in a cold and firm tone that made the blonde wince, “You’re not fired. I’d prefer it if our break-up wouldn’t affect our professional lives. That will be all.” 

With that Kaiba turned away from the shocked expression on Jou’s face and went back to typing away on his computer. 

“B-break-up?” he heard the blonde stammer in a breathless voice, “What are you talking about, Kaiba?” 

“That’s ‘sir’ to you!” Kaiba snapped, ignoring the twinge in his heart that came up when Jou flinched, but said nothing more to answer the blonde’s question. 

“Look, Kaiba, I know you’re mad, but...don’t you think you’re overreacting a little?” 

Kaiba stopped working and looked Jou right in the eyes. His puppy’s honey-colored eyes were sad, wide, and pleading. He had to get this over with before he succumbed to them. Would that be so bad? Jou didn’t want to break up. He said that even after Kaiba reassured him that his job wasn’t in jeopardy. Maybe there was still hope…

**_No!_ **

**_It’s not about that anymore._ **

**_Where’s your pride, Seto Kaiba?!_ **

**_Are you just going to let him push you around like this?_ **

**_He’s toying with you._ **

**_He’s not sure what he wants, but he clearly doesn’t want you._ **

**_He is just stubborn. You need to set him straight._ **

“No,” Kaiba said firmly, “I don’t believe I am overreacting. Typically a relationship would terminate when one partner is not attracted to the other…” 

“It’s not like that! I...” Jou started, interrupting Kaiba, but trailed off, looking at the floor. And, though Kaiba wanted to hear the rest of the sentence, he continued. 

“I checked the Kaiba Corp clinic records. You were lying about being sick because you didn’t want me to touch you-” 

“It’s not what it looks l-” 

“You weren’t very...enthusiastic about touching me, either.” 

“That’s only because…” 

“I thought you were just shy, but it’s clear you’re not attracted to me. Continuing any kind of relationship would be a fatal mistake that would cost us both time and effort. I am sure, after yesterday’s events, you cannot disprove what I am saying right now.” 

“You surprised me!” 

“I...surprised you? That’s your excuse” Kaiba asked, then scoffed and looked back at his computer, “Get out.” 

“Kaiba, please…” 

“I told you my reasons and confirmed that your job is safe. I hope you’ll understand why your living quarters will be changed; it’s all on Kaiba Corp, of course. There is nothing further to discuss. Get out.” 

“I was raped.” 

It was barely a whisper, but the brunette had heard it. His eyes widened and his hands fell flat on the keyboard. 

**Did he just say…**

“Th-there was this g-guy who would d-drink a lot a-and b-beat me up,” the blonde continued in a low, shaking voice. Kaiba looked back at his puppy, who had his head down and eyes closed. The CEO didn’t know what to say or what to think. All he knew was that a sudden pain in his chest made itself known, an overwhelming one, a fatal mixture of guilt, sadness, anger, fury, regret, sorrow, and every other negative emotion known to mankind. 

“I-I tried to get away, b-but I c-couldn’t until I f-found my old apartment, but he h-had a-already…” the blonde started, then burst into tears, wrapping his arms around himself tightly. 

**_Say something!_ **

**_Say anything!_ **

**_Don’t just sit there._ **

“I’m so sorry, puppy.” 

It was the only thing the brunette could think of or say. Because it was his most prominent emotion: guilt. He was such a jerk to Jou. He never would’ve done any of what he did if he had known. He knew his statement did nothing to help Jou or calm him down. Kaiba was never good at this kind of thing. His instinct was to yell out and demand that Jou tell him the name of the man so that the CEO could make him pay. He just knew that was the wrong thing to do at this time. 

“Y-you came in without saying, and I hadn’t turned on the lights yet. I-I couldn’t see you to make sure it was you. I-I was just sur-prised, Kaiba. I s-swear that was the reason. It was the only r-reason. It-It’s not you. I can’t touch me, either. Please don’t be mad. I’m so sorry.” 

**_WHY IS HE STILL APOLOGIZING?_ **

Kaiba finally got up and knelt in front of Jou while the blonde remained seated. All thoughts of stupid pride and yesterday’s humiliation were gone from the brunette’s mind by that point. He tentatively reached up and gently took the blonde’s hands away from his face, then looked at his puppy with a loving expression. 

“I’m not mad at you, Jou. You were right. I  **was** overreacting and making irrational assumptions. I take it all back, okay?” 

The blonde nodded slightly and looked down at his lap, still sniffling. 

“Who was it?” Kaiba asked. He couldn’t just not ask. The thought of anyone doing any of those things to Jou made the CEO’s blood boil. He almost felt guilty that he hadn’t already tracked the bastard down and got him thrown in prison, even though the brunette had no idea who it was. Hopefully, Jou will tell him and Kaiba won’t waste a second in avenging his precious puppy. 

But Jou didn’t tell him. The blonde’s eyes widened and he shook his head before murmuring “I am not saying.” 

Kaiba was about to protest and nudge, but decided against it. 

**_I can ask again later._ **

**_He’s too distraught._ **

**_This isn’t the time._ **

**_But I WILL avenge him._ **

**_That bastard WILL pay._ **

“D-do you still want to be with me though, honestly?” Kaiba heard the blonde whisper hesitantly. 

Kaiba shook his head at the stupid question and pecked the blonde’s lips. He rested his forehead against Jou’s after he pulled away and whispered “I am not letting you go, puppy. Ever.” 


	11. Bad News

Jou couldn’t believe it. He had told Kaiba everything...Well, almost everything, and the brunette still wanted to be with him! His soft gaze didn’t hold disgust and he didn’t think Jou was damaged goods. In fact, the brunette was more loving and respectful than he had ever been before and Jou couldn’t be happier about it. They had taken to sleeping in the same room, Jou’s room, without having to do anything physical. Jou was even contemplating spooning with the brunette, but only if a nightlight was on so the blonde wouldn’t feel as though someone else was behind him. 

For once, Jou didn’t feel inferior. Kaiba didn’t really treat him any differently after his confession. The brunette was only more careful about asking before doing anything physical. It was like he could read Jou’s mind and find out his wants. He was perfect, as he always was. The brunette had even purchased Jou his first cellphone, determined that they have a way of communicating wherever they went. That was a bit weird because they were literally together 24/7, but Jou figured they were both a little weird. That’s what made them work. It surprised Jou when a few weeks later, he received his 10-week check with an extra 50,000 Yen. He looked down at the numbers, mouth agape, then up at Kaiba, who was typing away at his computer. 

“You deserve it for your work. Don’t you dare say otherwise,” the brunette said firmly, not looking away from his work, “Besides, I will admit that I don’t like the idea that you’d still have no money for four months after paying off your university thing.” 

Jou’s heart sank. Kaiba still believed the lie that the blonde had told. Should he tell Kaiba the truth? No. If he did that, the brunette would want to go with him and then he’ll know that Jou had been sick for months and hadn’t said anything. The blonde didn’t even want to know how Kaiba would react to finding out something like that. 

“Yeah. I can’t wait to do that. Do you mind if I leave right now?” Jou asked hurriedly. He and Kaiba had plans for dinner at the house, but he hoped the brunette would understand. The blonde didn’t want to wait another second before taking the tests. His eye-sight had been fine with the drops for about three weeks, then started to deteriorate gradually. Now,  **everything** was blurry all the time. He had to squint for hours on end every day just so he could finish up his work. He knew he was lagging. His eyes didn’t hurt, but that didn’t mean the blurriness didn’t affect his output. Kaiba was picking up after him, doing the tasks Jou was unable to finish in time. Jou knew that and he felt awful for it, especially since the brunette hadn’t even brought it up. 

_ It will be fine.  _

_ He’ll understand.  _

_ I’ll have the surgery and make it up to him after.  _

“Sure, puppy. I’ll be home by 11,” the brunette said, still looking at his screen. Jou winced. Kaiba was even working past their planned ‘9:30 PM limit’ just so he can make up for Jou’s undone work. Hopefully, he could have the surgery as soon as possible and get back to work so his perfect boyfriend wouldn’t be so pressured all the time. 

* * *

“H-how much?” Jou asked breathlessly, sure he had heard the amount wrong. The doctor sighed. 

“50 Million. It’s not covered by your insurance because it’s experimental, but the success rates have been through the roof, Jou.” 

“I-I don’t understand, doc. You said it was 5 a few years back!” Jou cried, trying to get his breathing under control. This couldn’t be happening. He’d never make that amount of money. Ever! He had everything else now: Kaiba, Mokuba, his job, his room. He thought his surgery was guaranteed. He thought his life was finally turning around. Apparently not. Oh, how stupid he had been to think that.

“The time for the regular procedure passed, Jou. Can you even see at this point?” the doctor continued, sullenly, sitting in his office across from Jou. 

“Not very well, no. But, I can if I squint. I-I can still make out colors and shapes and…” the blonde started frantically, trying to convince himself more the doctor that it wasn’t too late, that his eyesight could still be salvaged through the cheaper procedure. He stopped speaking when he noticed the blurry blob of the doctor was shaking his head. 

“The regular procedure would most likely just cause your sight to go faster.” the man said bitterly. Jou looked down at his hands and let that sink in. He needed to ask two things now. They were very important. What were they? He needed to know how long he had left and if there was anything he could do to be able to see better for the moment. Why bother, though? He would have to quit his job, eventually. He would have to quit his entire life. He would have to quit Kaiba. 

_ Kaiba… _

His name went through Jou’s head and, suddenly, the blonde couldn’t take it anymore. He stood up so abruptly, the chair fell to the floor behind him, then he stormed out of the office and out of the clinic. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the tears streaming down his face. 

_ It’s not fair… _

He finally slowed down, unable to catch his breath, when he looked to the side and saw it: the pharmacy. He didn’t think twice, entering the place and instantly buying what he needed. It was stupid of him to throw away the first razor. He shouldn’t have assumed that things would turn out okay. After all, when do they ever turn out okay for him? He shoved it in his pocket, grimacing at it as if it was the source of all his problems. 

_ It will end on my terms _

_ My life is still my own.  _

_ I am not going back to… _

_ I am just not going back!  _

He was snapped out of his thoughts when the phone in his pocket started to ring. It had to be Kaiba. No one else knew his number. Should he pick up? He decided against it. His voice would be too hoarse from sobbing his eyes out. Kaiba would know something is wrong in an instant and start asking questions. Jou wouldn’t be able to answer any of them. He closed the phone and shoved it in his other pocket. He didn’t want to go home. What would he say? What would he do? 

He couldn’t tell Kaiba about any of this. He knew exactly how the brunette would react; Kaiba would insist on paying for the surgery and say that Jou shouldn’t worry about paying him back. The blonde could never agree to that, even if it was the only way to save his life. The one thing he valued most in his life was his freedom; if that was taken away, his life just wouldn’t be worth living. Even if Kaiba was currently his boyfriend, Jou would be indebted to the brunette forever if he let him pay that amount. He’d never be able to pay him back. Ever! 

And, anyway, how was he supposed to bring it up without sounding like a golddigger? ‘Hey, Kaiba..I lied about that university thing. I didn’t tell you that I had really bad eyesight and now I need 50 million or I’ll go blind’ or ‘Hey, Kaiba, this surgery is the only chance to save my eyesight, but no pressure. I ain’t expecting anything. I am just talking here.’ 

The blonde groaned. Thinking about the brunette so much was causing his heart to ache. He couldn’t take his life. He couldn’t do that to Kaiba, but he also couldn’t go blind. And he couldn’t take Kaiba’s money. He had zero options left. The blonde felt the lump in his pants pocket that held the razor. Perhaps that was a rash decision. He didn’t want to use it. He hoped he never would, that this problem would go away somehow. Having it with him, though, was a comfort that he couldn’t part with. 

_ I have some thinking to do.  _

_ But I won’t throw it away.  _

_ I can’t.  _

_ It’s the only thing in my life I have control over.  _

_ I can’t give it up.  _

_ Either way, its presence can’t hurt me.  _

_ What’s the harm in keeping it?  _

The blonde walked around the streets for the rest of the night, ignoring the buzzing from his phone. He eventually figured out how to silence the damn thing. He got to Kaiba Corp at 7 AM, figuring he should start working early to make up for the crappy job he’d been doing for a week. He wondered when Kaiba would confront him about it and what Jou could possibly say. 

“J-Jou?” he heard someone stammer behind him after a couple of hours. He swung around in his seat and came face-to-face with a red-eyed, exhausted-looking Kaiba who seemed both ecstatic to see Jou and ready to rip his throat out, “Could I see you in my office for a minute?” 

The blonde visibly gulped, nodded, and walked into the office behind Kaiba, shutting the door behind him. 

“Where have you been?” came the shaking voice of Kaiba, the brunette’s blue eyes twitching in anger. Jou cleared his throat. He’d thought of a way to answer this question without prompting multiple follow-ups. 

“I-I found out I was too late to apply,” he said quietly, then jumped when he heard Kaiba slam his open palms on his desk. 

“And you didn’t think to pick up your phone?!” Kaiba yelled. Jou flinched, but otherwise remained silent. Kaiba continued yelling “It’s just a freaking application. It’s not the end of the goddamn world, puppy! I thought something terrible happened to you and Mokuba was very distraught!” 

“Screw you, Kaiba!” Jou yelled, not knowing where that came from. He just needed to yell at  **someone** about  **something** . Otherwise, he might just explode, “You expect me to understand when weird things freak you out and make you distant, but you never give a second thought to how I feel. It might not matter to you, but that application was freaking everything to me! I-I can’t ever get a good job or-or live alone or-or have my freaking freedom without it! A-and I know people get by without it, but I just...can’t, okay? I can’t live without it. Why can’t you understand that?” 

The blonde was hyperventilating. He couldn’t get his breath under control. He couldn’t do anything to stop the room from spinning. He felt like time had stopped and his entire world was falling apart. So many things were so wrong and he couldn’t do anything about it. His eyes widened as he clawed at his throat, trying to get his airways to work. What was happening to him? Was he going blind AND crazy? He felt like he was about to lose consciousness. Would he wake up? Does he really want to? 

“Puppy! Puppy! Jounouchi!” he heard Kaiba yell and looked around. Everything was too blurry. He couldn’t focus enough to squint and look for his boyfriend. He couldn’t see anything. The outlines of shapes were worse now, blending into the colors and becoming virtually non-existent. He could barely make out what was what. Why was his vision deteriorating already? It shouldn’t go this fast. He should’ve had more time! 

Suddenly, he didn’t need to look around anymore. Kaiba had wrapped his arms around him and was holding onto him tight, seated on the floor in front of him. Jou didn’t want to close his eyes, though, afraid that everything would fade when he opened them again, that he wouldn’t be able to see anymore. A sharp jolt of panic went through him. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Him fearing that every sighting might be his last? Time was very much against him, but he had never felt so suffocated by it until that moment. He suddenly had a dark, terrifying thought that took over his entire being. 

_ I should’ve ended it last night.  _

_ I should end it right now.  _

_ I don’t want things to go dark.  _

_ I won’t be able to handle it.  _

_ I can’t!  _

Jou started shaking uncontrollably, no longer aware of Kaiba’s presence. In that moment, nothing else in the world mattered except his sight, the one thing he was losing. How do people not realize how lucky they are every day they wake up and can see their surroundings? Then again, I never realized it, either. Maybe this is the universe’s punishment for me being ungrateful? But, then, why was it only happening to me? 

“I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this,” the blonde started whispering into Kaiba’s chest without realizing it, wetting the brunette’s shirt with the tears that flowed constantly from his wide honey-colored eyes which he refused to close no matter what. 


	12. I Can't Stay

It was the first time Kaiba ever took a day off work. He didn’t know what else to do. Though he would never admit it, the CEO was simply frightened over the state his puppy was in. What had happened? They were fine the day before. His puppy had been just fine, then suddenly he was talking nonsense and breaking down in the office. 

**_‘I can’t do this’_ **

**_What did he mean?_ **

**_Is it our relationship?_ **

**_The job?_ **

**_Something else?_ **

**_Why won’t he say?_ **

If all this wasn’t freaking him out enough, his puppy’s next question broke his resolve. 

“Hey, Kaiba?” 

The brunette’s head snapped up. Jou had promptly cried himself to sleep the minute they got home and he set his head on Kaiba’s pillow. Now, glazed over, honey-colored eyes were staring at the CEO as they blinked awake. 

“Yes, puppy?” he replied. 

**_Maybe he’s going to explain it, himself._ **

**_Maybe I won’t need to ask at all._ **

But the puppy didn’t explain. He just sat up, fiddled with the bedsheets nervously, biting his lip, then sighed, and looked to the side. 

“You wouldn’t...I mean, you’re not...What I am trying to say is…” 

The brunette had to bite his tongue to keep from exploding at Jou to just spit it out already. He was starting to get really worried. What was wrong with his puppy? 

“You wouldn’t be too upset if I wasn’t around anymore, right?” Jou finished firmly, sensing Kaiba’s irritation. 

**_What does that mean?!_ **

**_What is he asking me that?_ **

**_Is someone threatening him?_ **

**_OF COURSE I’D BE UPSET, YOU STUPID PUPPY!_ **

The brunette cleared his throat, trying to remind himself to be patient. 

“It depends on the reasons behind your departure,” Kaiba said slowly, careful not to sound too annoyed or anxious. His worries increased with every second that passed without Jou saying anything. 

“Umm...I mean, it doesn’t really matter, right? I am just askin’ if you could never see or speak to me again. You wouldn’t miss me, right? Tell me you wouldn’t miss me. Just say it, Kaiba. I won’t be upset.” 

Kaiba was taken back by Jou’s commanding tone. His puppy hasn’t spoken to him like that since high-school. He didn’t dislike it, but the blonde’s voice was almost pleading at the same time. It was almost like Jou  **wanted** Kaiba not to care about the blonde’s presence, or the lack of it. Why? 

“I don’t like speaking about hypotheticals,” he said, firmly, uncomfortable with the entire conversation, “it’s a waste of time, energy, and is just plain stupid.”

A devastating thought went through Kaiba’s mind. It all made sense now. 

“Puppy, were you thinking about applying abroad?” he asked softly, so Jou would know that Kaiba wasn’t mad. 

“Yeah! That! That was the reason I asked! You wouldn’t be upset, right? I mean I’m pretty annoying, Kaiba. It would be a relief for you to see me go, won’t it? You could find a better secretary and a new partn-” 

“Enough!” Kaiba hissed out, interrupting the blonde, who promptly clamped his mouth shut. How was he saying that? Any of that? The brunette couldn’t believe it! Jou didn’t even  **think** about them being in a long-distance relationship or  **any** possibility of them staying in contact. He seemed ready to break up with Kaiba in that instant, even before he had been accepted anywhere. Did the brunette mean that little to him? “I already told you. I don’t like speaking about hypotheticals. Either way, it seems you’ve already made your decision, so my input on the matter shouldn’t concern you. I am going to bed. I’ve had a long freaking week of doing both  **your** work and mine.” 

It was only after Kaiba had slammed the door closed that he realized he had just stormed out of his own bedroom. He groaned and went to Mokuba’s room, fully intent on cursing Jounouchi Katsuya six ways from Sunday. 

* * *

Jounouchi was at a loss. After a good amount of sleep, he still didn’t feel like getting up. He didn’t feel like doing anything but stare at the random shapes and colors surrounding him. They would all disappear soon; he wanted to remember them. The only thing that got him out of bed was his job. He couldn’t leave Kaiba hanging. He owed it to the brunette to at least  **try** and do something. With every day that passed, more and more of the workload was given to Kaiba, and, pretty soon, they were back to their 2 AM schedule, with Kaiba doing most of the work and Jou barely functioning. 

The blonde almost stopped eating altogether. He was too stressed. His worst nightmare was becoming his reality. Kaiba was starting to resent him for not working well; the brunette had barely spoken two words to Jou since the day they spoke about him leaving for university. They stopped going on dates, sleeping in each other’s beds, or doing anything together. He and Mokuba barely talked as well. The black-haired boy had been firmly instructed by his brother not to send anymore ‘friends’ Jou’s way because the blonde was already ‘lazing around’ at work and didn’t need more distractions. The blurry computer screen in front of him was a constant reminder of his failure. He couldn’t get the surgery. He couldn’t be a good work or life partner to Kaiba. He couldn’t work fast enough to get to spend time with Mokuba. He was letting the two people who mattered most to him in the world down. And...the clock was still ticking, reminding him that he didn’t have enough time to make things right before he died. 

10 days after Jou discovered that surgery wasn’t an option, his eyes both flickered out. He was at his desk, in his cubicle, when he suddenly blinked and his heart sank, though it was beating through his chest. 

**_I can’t see anything…_ **

**_Is this it?_ **

**_It can’t be._ **

**_How long did the doctor say I had?_ **

**_Oh, he didn’t. I didn’t stay for that part._ **

Surrounded by absolute darkness, Jou reached for his one source of hope: the razor. He held it firmly in his hand and took it out of his pants pocket, making a tight fist around it. He couldn’t lose it now. It was...everything. But, how could he use it? There was no way he could make it to the bathroom without someone noticing there was something wrong with him. And, even if he did, he couldn’t do it here...in Kaiba Corp. Kaiba hated any negative attention being around his company, and a bloody bathroom and dead secretary would certainly attract that. Besides, he didn’t want Kaiba to see. He’d never forgive himself if Kaiba saw him like that. 

_ What do I do?  _

Suddenly, he saw a light, a small one, the source of which unknown, but it was there. Then, there were more lights, then colors. It may have taken a good 15 minutes, but Jou’s sight came back, or what was left of it at least. He exhaled in relief, still shaken up a bit. He knew what he needed to do. He couldn’t stay there anymore and risk actually having to take his own life in Kaiba’s company. He silently typed ‘resignation letter’ on the computer before finishing up and pressing print. If he could get it signed tonight, he could be out of the mansion by noon the next day. He’d just pay his landlord for another month and stay at his apartment until the inevitable happens. 


	13. Please Stop Me

Kaiba pinched the bridge of his nose as a phone call came in. He hadn’t gotten one of those in months. Weren’t all his calls supposed to be diverted to Jou? Was the stupid puppy refusing to take calls as well as do everything else now? How long is he going to keep pushing my buttons like this? 

“Yes?” he asked with a professional voice, perfectly masking his annoyance. 

“Good day, Mr. Kaiba. This is the HR department. I was just calling to receive your confirmation for your secretary’s resignation?” 

“I’ve already  **told** you that you don’t need my confirmation for that nonsense. Anyone who wants to leave can just damn well-Did you just say  **my secretary** ’s resignation?” 

“Yes, Mr. Kaiba,” came the quick reply. 

“What’s the name?” Kaiba asked slowly, unwilling to believe what he was hearing. Yes, things had been strained between them, but Kaiba didn’t think they were this bad. He figured that the puppy would just come back one day with his tail between his legs and start crying and apologizing for saying such insensitive things, that Jou would say he hadn’t been thinking clearly, that he didn’t mean what he said and was just too devastated over losing out his chance to go to college in Japan. The CEO never thought it would come to this. 

“Jounouchi Katsuya.” the man on the other line said.

Kaiba scrambled in his mind, unable to understand Jounouchi’s actions. Maybe the blonde is just playing? Trying to get Kaiba to apologize? The brunette was 100% certain that he did nothing wrong. He wouldn’t be made into one of those men who apologized for no reason. He’d never stoop that low. 

“Rejected.” Kaiba said with a smirk, then hung up the phone before he could get a reply. If Jou wanted a reaction out of Kaiba, he certainly wouldn’t be getting one through such a see-through tactic. The brunette knew that Jou valued his job at Kaiba Corp more than anything. He wouldn’t give it up because of one lousy fight. 

A few minutes later, Kaiba heard Jou over the speaker and knew he had won their silent fight. 

“Can I speak to you for a second, boss?” came the blonde’s irritated voice. 

“Come in,” Kaiba told him. This was it. His puppy knows he has lost and is coming to apologize to him. 

He wasn’t. Kaiba was surprised to find that the blonde simply came into the office, walked steadily to Kaiba’s desk with his head held high, slammed a filled out resignation form on the desk, looked Kaiba in the eye, and said firmly “you need to sign this right now.” 

The brunette smirked again. So, the game continues. Well, the CEO could play along until Jou gives in. 

“Fine,” he said casually with a shrug, then took the cap off his pen and, ever so slowly, brought it down to the paper. When the tip of the pen was nearly touching the signature line, Kaiba looked up. Wasn’t Jounouchi going to stop him and admit that this was all a ploy to get the CEO’s attention? His puppy was just standing there, looking down at him, his hands on his hips and his eyes unfocused. Maybe he needed a bit more motivation? 

Kaiba brought down the pen and slowly signed ‘Jounouchi Katsuya’ at the employer's signature line. To his surprise, Jou only gave him a sad smile and whispered “thank you, Kaiba. I really hope you find a secretary who is a good fit for ya. I am really gonna miss ya, but, y’know, it’s for the best.” 

Kaiba’s brows furrowed as the blonde walked out of the office with that same sad smile. That was weird. Maybe he was just upset that I wasn’t giving in. He’s the one who needs to apologize, not me. 

The brunette was sure that his puppy wouldn’t call him out on signing the wrong name. After all, Jou never planned on taking the letter to HR, right? Why would he care if the name was right or not? 

Surprisingly, Jou stormed into the office fifteen minutes later with a furious look on his face. 

“Kaiba! You made me look like a fool in front of that Human Resources guy. I am not asking you again. Sign. The. Damn. Paper!” Jou yelled, slammed down another copy on Kaiba’s desk, right in front of the CEO. 

Kaiba had been ecstatic when Jou came in angry, thinking that the blonde was finally giving up on his ridiculous charade and coming to his senses about their fight. When Jou put that paper in front of him, though, Kaiba’s face fell. No. This...This wasn’t a joke. His puppy really  **did** want to leave him forever. Why?  **THEY HAD BEEN FINE!**

“I ain’t leavin’ until you sign it with your OWN name this time,” Jou said firmly, then plopped down on the chair across from Kaiba. The brunette just looked at him for a split-second, mouth agape. He quickly regained his composure and nodded, though his chest clenched. What else could he do? He’d promised Jou he’d be professional if they break up. But...had they broken up? When was that? Kaiba thought they were just fighting. Why was Jou acting like he couldn’t stand to be around Kaiba for another minute? What could the CEO have possibly done? Was it the silent treatment? He didn’t think it was uncalled for. Maybe he did react too harshly? He didn’t think so. 

His hands were both shaking badly, but he had to do this. He had promised Jou. He had promised himself. He had to put his personal feelings aside. It was what he had always done. Why was it so hard this time, then? He brought his pen down to the paper and looked up at Jou. 

**_Please stop me._ **

**_Please stop me._ **

**_Please stop me._ **

**_PLEASE DON’T MAKE ME DO THIS!!_ **

The blonde was just glaring at Kaiba. The brunette looked back down and saw that he’d been holding the pen at a particular place for two long and that its ink was forming a blob underneath the tip. He silently and shakingly put the cap back on his pen and set it down next to the paper, still looking down at the form. He didn’t dare look Jou in the eye now. 

“I’ll give you a pay raise” he whispered in a defeated voice. 

**_It’s official._ **

**_I’m pathetic._ **

“Kaiba, what da hell are you talkin’ about? I’m a terrible secretary. You know it and I know it. Please, put us both out of our misery and sign the form. You’ll collapse if you keep covering for me because I ain’t working.” 

Kaiba started shaking his still lowered head. He couldn’t let Jou just leave. 

“I won’t. I had been doing this much and more before you came into the picture. I was fine,” Kaiba said, hoping with all his heart that it would convince the blonde that he didn’t need to leave. A workload that heavy wouldn’t be too bad if he had Jou. He just needed to have Jou. 

“No, you weren’t. You were barely sleeping or functioning outside the office. You didn’t have a social life. And- and you barely saw Mokuba. Do you really want to get back to that? Please sign the form!” the blonde all but screamed at Kaiba, who still wasn’t looking up. 

“It doesn’t have to be that way. Just stay and we’ll find something that accommodates whatever reason you have for not being able to work as much. I’ll find a way-” 

“No, Kaiba.” the blonde said firmly. Kaiba shook his head slowly and squeezed his eyes closed. This definitely wasn’t a joke. He was serious. He was leaving and there wasn’t anything Kaiba could do to stop him. He clenched his hands into fists on the desk. 

“I’ll pay you double.”

“No.” 

“Triple.” 

“No.” 

“You won’t get a severance package.”

“I don’t care.” 

“I’m sorry!” he snapped, bringing his head up to look the blonde in the eye, “Is that what you want to hear? I’m sorry. Or, or, I am not, but I could say it. I’d say or do anything to-” Kaiba stopped himself there. He couldn’t believe he had said any of that to begin with. What was he thinking? There was only one way to not humiliate himself further. He quickly signed the form then shoved it towards Jou, who was no longer looking at the document at all. He was staring at the brunette, not that Kaiba knew that. The CEO had swirled his chair around and was facing the wall. 

“Please leave,” the brunette whispered, putting his face in his hands and leaning with his elbows on his knees. His heart dropped as he heard Jou get up, but the blonde only came up next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“We don’t have to stop seeing each other just because I don’t work here anymore,” his puppy said hesitantly. The brunette’s heart started beating normally again at that. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. He felt happy...that is, until the blonde continued. 

“I could stay with you for a week if you want,” Jou said with a sad smile. 

That statement hurt the brunette more than anything else than had just happened. Jou said it as if he was doing Kaiba a favor, as if the blonde was pushing himself to be around the CEO. It was a pity offer. Jou didn’t want to be with Kaiba at all. Once the week was up, he would probably run for the hills and get far away. Kaiba looked away from the honey-colored eyes. 

“Don’t do me any favors,” he hissed bitterly. Jou’s eyes widened. 

“No. No! It’s not like that!” the blonde said frantically, before he looked down and whispered “I w-want to stay with you, but I just can’t.” 

Kaiba held his breath. He waited...but Jou said nothing more. Finally, the brunette snapped. 

“You want to stay with me?!” he yelled, ignoring Jou’s flinch, then got up, walked to the desk, grabbed the resignation form, and tore it to pieces, watching as Jou’s eyes widened further and the blonde recoiled, “Fine! You got it! You’re staying until Christmas like your original damn contract said. I was being nice before, but that contract states that if you break it early, you pay back everything you’ve made so far, so unless you want to fork that money over…” 

It was a lie. It was illegal to include such a clause in a job contract, but the puppy didn’t read it. Kaiba was sure of that, at least. He just hoped that Jou wouldn’t request a copy now and find out Kaiba was lying. If that happened, the blonde would **know** that the CEO was pathetic instead of just suspecting it. 

Jou visibly gulped and took two steps towards the brunette, his eyes wide, pleading, and starting to get wet. 

“K-Kaiba I don’t have it anymore…” 

“You said you missed the deadline. What the hell did you waste 550,000 Yen on?” the brunette yelled. He didn’t really care. He just wanted to yell at Jou, regardless of the reason. He was surprised when Jou just started to chuckle bitterly and walk away from him whispering “I guess it was a waste.” 

Kaiba’s shoulders slumped when he heard the door close. He was doing the right thing, right? Jou is bound to snap out of whatever haze he is in and want his job back, want Kaiba back, right? The brunette sighed and returned to his chair, trying to concentrate so he could finish both their tasks by 2 AM. 


	14. Son?

Jou didn’t know what to do. He couldn’t move out of Kaiba’s mansion. If he did that, then he’d be risking going blind on public transportation every day on the way to and back from Kaiba Corp. So, he had to stay there, just like he had to stay at his job. He had tried to resign two weeks ago and failed. He knew he should’ve read that freaking contract! He was so stupid. But...he thought he could trust Kaiba. Why was the brunette doing this to him? The part of Jou that felt guilty over leaving Kaiba forever was long gone. Now, he was just furious with the brunette. No matter what his intentions or reasons were, Kaiba was just another rich employee who was taking advantage of his employees’ needs. He was just like the rest of them. Jou cursed himself for ever thinking that Kaiba would be different. 

His eyes were flickering out at least five times a day now. His right eye was almost completely blind. A part of him felt bad that he was barely functioning at work and dumping everything on Kaiba, but another part of him kept reminding him that Kaiba was the one forcing him to stay. And, honestly, he  **was** trying his best. His best was just nowhere near good enough. He was used to that. He and Kaiba weren’t speaking. He and Mokuba didn’t see each other. His job was just making him feel like a failure and he was about to go blind. 

_ Of all the ways to leave the world... _

He was waiting for his left eye to work again when he suddenly heard a loud thud and jumped. 

“What the hell is this?” came Kaiba’s harsh, hate-filled voice. Jou felt a paper being thrown at him. His left eye was coming back, but not quickly enough for him to know what Kaiba had just shoved at him. 

“Ummm...a document?” he tried, hoping Kaiba wouldn’t yell at him again. He hated being humiliated among his peers. He already felt inferior enough as it is. He didn’t need Kaiba to make matters worse. He could already hear them whispering behind his back. They would probably laugh at him when Kaiba left. His heart sank as he realized he was the group-appointed ‘idiot’ among them again, when he was Kaiba’s favorite only a month back. 

“I damn well know it’s a document. What does it say?! Don’t you notice anything off? You wrote the damn thing!” 

The whispers were getting louder. Jou’s breath became shallow. They were still laughing at him and Kaiba wasn’t letting up. 

_ Please stop.  _

“No.” Jou whispered, then closed his eyes. Sure, he couldn’t see anything anyway, but he didn’t want his partial vision to come back while everyone was talking about him and Kaiba was yelling at him. 

“No?! Do you really not notice that you’ve sent a competitor detailed diagrams of our planned newest release? What in God’s name is wrong with you? You’ve cost this company billions and you’ve made us all look like fools! I hope you’re happy. Get out, Jounouchi. You’re fired. I don’t want to see your face here ever again!” 

Jou opened his eyes slowly and found himself able to make out a retreating figure. Kaiba was going back into his office and everyone else was still whispering. Had he been able to see, he figured he would’ve caught pity or amusement in their eyes. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need either emotion. He no longer needed anything. This was the way it should be. In a way, he should be thanking Kaiba for what the brunette did. This was just the push he needed. 

Jou grabbed his bag from under his desk. He had been bringing it into work in case he ever got kicked out of the mansion without actually being in the mansion. He just sensed that something like this was going to happen. Yes, Kaiba was the one who had been harmed, but the brunette brought that on himself. He should’ve just signed Jou’s resignation form and let the blonde leave. But, instead, he chose to take advantage of his position, to assert his power over Jou, to force the blonde to stay. As far as the blonde was concerned, Kaiba had this coming. 

He didn’t know how he managed to make it to his old neighborhood, but he did, and he paid the rent to the landlord just as he planned, though he was sure that he wouldn’t make it to the end of the month. The landlord said that no one had rented the place out since Jou left, which is why the blonde was frightened when he found a person casually lock-picking the door and letting themselves in. Jou remained on the mattress under his thin blue blanket, afraid of making any sounds, but he knew it would be useless. He cupped the razor in his pocket more firmly. This place was too dangerous. He couldn’t stay there, not after he knew what the safety and comfort of the Kaiba mansion felt like. He said he’d leave the world as happy as he could possibly be, and, though he was currently miserable, this was the greatest happiness he could hope to achieve with everything that had happened. He’d do it now. He’d wait for this strange man to leave and do it tonight. He’d-

“Son?” a familiar cold and drunk voice asked as the no longer mysterious man turned the lights on. Jou gulped. There was no getting away now. 

* * *

“It’s been two weeks, big brother. Don’t you think you should-” 

“No, I don’t,” Kaiba said calmly, interrupting Mokuba. He knew exactly what his younger brother was about to suggest. It’s what he had been suggesting for the past two weeks. He wants Kaiba to get a new secretary. 

The CEO had been coming home extremely late, sometimes ‘early’ enough to see Mokuba off to school, like that particular morning. But, he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. It seemed so...final, like he was officially giving up on the idea that Jou might come back. He won’t. Kaiba knows that. Perhaps the puppy would’ve returned had the brunette let him resign, but now that he’s been fired, there was no chance of that happening. Kaiba should’ve never kept him on for so long. The brunette wasn’t even sure he could take the puppy back. What he did was unforgivable. 

Mokuba put down his sandwich, abandoning his breakfast altogether and put his hand on Kaiba’s. The brunette looked at his younger brother, awaiting the usual lecture about late hours and exhaustion. What he heard surprised him. 

“Just talk to Jou, Seto. You two could-” 

“He sabotaged our company, Mokuba! I won’t be able to look at him without losing my temper,” the brunette said indignantly, “I wouldn’t let him resign, and I admit that was wrong of me, but he didn’t need to do this. He didn’t need to force my hand in such a despicable way. He knows how much the company means to me. I know it meant nothing to him, but I thought...Do you know how much that would’ve cost us had the Kaiba Corp filtration system not blocked the email from being sent?” 

Mokuba sighed and quietly asked “What if it  **was** an accident?” 

Kaiba chuckled bitterly. He wished that was a possibility. 

“How could someone send an email specifically to another person with certain content by accident?” 

Mokuba sighed and continued “I don’t know, Seto. Maybe he wasn’t paying attention. You said he hadn’t been doing that good of a job. Maybe he was exhausted or sick or sad or something. And now, he doesn’t want to talk to you because he is ashamed and thinks he’s cost you a lot of money.” 

Kaiba took in a deep breath and asked “If that were true, he would’ve explained it to me.” 

**_Would he have?_ **

**_I didn’t give him a chance._ **

**_I just fired him and stormed off._ **

**_And we weren’t exactly on speaking terms._ **

**_What if what Mokuba is saying is right?_ **

Kaiba brushed the thoughts aside. He wouldn’t get his hopes up, not again. He had them crushed the last time he gave Jou a chance. It was very clear that the blonde just didn’t care about Kaiba, and, possibly, had never cared about Kaiba. He didn’t want to go down a road that certainly led to a dead end. 

“Fine. I’ll hire a new secretary. Please drop this,” Kaiba said bitterly. Mokuba shook his head. 

“Your contract with him said, if you fired him before christmas, you’d personally deliver a 10,000,000 Yen check to him. You’re going to have to see him either way, big brother. I suggest you use it to get some closure if you’re sure you don’t want to wake up.” 

Kaiba groaned, placing his face in his hands. He had forgotten all about that. He was going to have to see the mutt again. He’s better get it over with, then. Then, he’d put this whole thing behind him for good. He was too tired to care about anything at the moment, so perhaps seeing Jou again won’t hurt. As he went into his limo and gave the driver the address, he ignored that little flutter he felt at the thought that Jou might just come back to him that day. 

* * *

Kaiba walked slowly up to Jou’s apartment, trying to decide what he would say to the blonde once he saw him. 

**_‘Here’s your money, you stupid mutt’_ **

**_‘I hope you’re happy with what you’ve done’_ **

**_‘You should be the one paying me seeing as how I had been doing your work for a month by the time you left, you ungrateful bastard.’_ **

**_‘If I see you again, I’ll get a restraining order.’_ **

**_‘Why did you leave me? What did I do? We were fine…’_ **

Ok. Maybe not that last one. 

Kaiba was snapped out of his thoughts when he arrived right outside of Jou’s door and heard grunting. His eyes widened and his chest clenched. 

**_No...He couldn’t be doing that._ **

**_He wouldn’t._ **

**_He wouldn’t even let me touch him._ **

**_There’s no way he’s letting some guy…_ **

After pressing his ear to the door, though, Kaiba’s fears were confirmed. They were definitely having sex. The brunette clenched his fists to his side, the check in his briefcase forgotten. Was Jou playing him this entire time? That was the only explanation that fit the situation. With a bout of rage, the CEO kicked the cheap, wooden door off its hinges. And was met with the most disgusting sight he could imagine, a blonde middle-aged man with a beer belly was fucking a naked Jou into the mattress and grunting above him. The lights were off, but Kaiba could clearly tell when the man turned towards the door frame, pulled out of Jou and ran out of the apartment while pulling his pants up. Kaiba wasn’t focused on him, though. His eyes were on the motionless blonde that was lying on his stomach on the mattress. 

“You don’t want to be touched, huh?” the brunette yelled then continued when Jou didn’t answer, moving towards the blonde, “And, to think, I believed a whore like you!” 

Kaiba grabbed the blonde by the waist, ready to physically shove him against the wall and punch him right in his lying face, when he froze, horrified. Jou was completely limp. His head dangled as Kaiba picked him up. The brunette quickly turned on the lights and saw it...Jou’s thighs were coated in blood and the blonde’s eyes were shut. Kaiba instantly ran to his puppy, shaking him wildly, but Jou was unresponsive. The brunette’s eyes snapped to the doorway. 

**_Was that the guy Jou told me about?_ **

**_The one who beat him and raped him repeatedly?_ **

**_Did I just...let him get away?_ **

The CEO shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for this. His puppy was hurt. He needed to help somehow. Deciding that an ambulance would only attract unwanted attention and so would a visit to any hospital, Kaiba quickly made his choice, grabbing the closest clothing he could find and quickly dressing the blonde. Jou wouldn’t want to be seen carried naked like this. If Kaiba couldn’t protect his puppy, he could at least respect what he knew to be his wishes. 

Carrying the blonde, Kaiba darted out of the apartment and ran back to the car, yelling at his driver to take them to ‘his medical personnel.’ 

“M’sorry,” said a broken, choked voice. 

Kaiba looked down at his puppy, whose head was in the CEO’s lap. 

**_He’s awake…_ **

**_Barely_ **

“You have  **nothing** to be sorry for,” the CEO said firmly, running his fingers through Jou’s hair, and sighing in relief when Jou’s eyes fluttered closed again. He didn’t want his puppy to be in any pain. His guy would give the blonde the best pain killers on the planet, but, until then, he would rather Jou remain asleep. 


	15. The Note

As usual, the doctor didn’t ask any questions. He just worked on the blonde as Kaiba sat down on a chair in the right outside the room, his heart threatening to beat out of his cheat. Though this was technically a house, not a clinic or a hospital, doctor Takibi insisted all ‘loved-ones’ stay outside so he could focus on whatever highly illegal medical things he was doing inside. Kaiba trusted the doctor fully. The CEO was the one who funded this entire ‘clinic’, after all and made sure that everything was hygienic and of good quality. He had done countless research on every single item he had bought for the place. 

The brunette’s hands were shaking in his lap. His mind had gone completely blank since he saw the scene at the apartment. All he could now was sit there and helplessly let it replay in his mind over and over again. He knew Jou would be alright, but what he saw was…

“Mr. Kaiba? He’s going to be alright sir. He had some anal tearing and cuts. I treated them right away then did some tests to see if there was any internal damage. He had two bruised ribs, but, luckily, none were broken. The brain scan came back clean. There is no bleeding there. Am I right in assuming that he cannot afford to treat his eyes?” the doctor asked. Kaiba remained seated, too shocked and exhausted to get up now that all the adrenaline had left his body. He almost sighed in relief at the doctor’s words...that is, until he heard the last question. 

“What about his eyes?” Kaiba asked, not understanding how a ra-what he saw could affect someone’s eyes. 

A long and painfully detailed discussion later, Kaiba slumped in his chair, shaking his head at himself. He didn’t know. He couldn’t blame himself. It wouldn’t make any sense. Yet, he still did. 

**_How could I not have known?_ **

“You can fix it, then” Kaiba asked when the doctor finally said it was too late for laser treatment, but that surgery could save the blonde’s vision. 

The doctor took in a sharp breath and looked Kaiba in the eyes. 

“Mr. Kaiba, with all due respect, the surgery is very expensive. I could do it, but I’d rather not. We treat people who are in dire need and cannot afford medical care. It wouldn’t make any sense to do  **this** . He could live without his sight. The money needed to do this procedure could easily cure thousands of-” 

“I don’t think you understood me. You are going to fix it immediately. I want Jounouchi Katsuya coming out of that room with vision better than mine. Is that clear?” the brunette yelled, angry that the doctor wasn’t taking this seriously enough. His puppy wouldn’t go blind. He couldn’t. His beautiful, wide, honey-colored eyes deserved to see the world, not eternal darkness.If there was a way to fix it, it would be fixed. Nothing could change the CEO’s mind about that. Jou could live without his sight, but Kaiba didn’t want him to. He would fix it, “I’ll pay you the exact amount so we could continue offering the same services to others who need it, but I want this done.” 

At that the doctor perked up and firmly said “Yes, sir.” he stopped before going into the room, though, turned and handed Kaiba a neatly folded, kind of heavy note that said ‘Seto’. 

“I’ve thrown away the bloody clothes as you’ve suggested. This was in the pocket,” the doctor said before going back into the operating room. 

Kaiba furrowed his brows as he held the note that was folded into fifths for a second, before unfolding it in lightning speed. Was this it? Was Jou finally explaining why he left Kaiba? The brunette needed answers. He needed to  **know** . It never occurred to him that what the note held could be far more devastating than every assumption Kaiba had already come up with. Though Kaiba realized that as he unfolded the last crease and a new razor blade fell from inside it and clattered on the floor at his feet. The brunette picked it up with the same shaking hands and threw it into the nearest trash can, not wanting to think about what it could have been used for. He wouldn’t...No. Right? He wouldn’t do that. The brunette’s eyes snapped to 7 A5-sized papers in his hands, desperate for some answers, ANY answers that didn’t confirm his current suspicions. 

_ Seto,  _

_ Hey. I like calling you that. I wish I had done it more often. Maybe I did. I don’t know how long we spent together after I wrote this note. Maybe I finally got up the courage to ask you if I could call you Seto during that time. I hope we stayed together for long. Does that make me a terrible person? Knowing you’d probably be hurt when I...killed myself? I didn’t plan for it to end like this, Seto. The world decided that for me.  _

_ Maybe you won’t understand, but I am going to try to explain it to you anyway. You just stormed out on me when I asked if you’d be okay with me going abroad. I’ll take that as a ‘no’. I am starting to wish you hated me again. That way, it’ll be easier to leave knowing I am not wanted, because that’s how I always felt before I met you. No one ever really valued me, Seto. That guy I told you about wasn’t the only one. As you’ve probably already guessed, I didn’t just work as a waiter at Cheesy Crisps. I had two jobs: 1) wait tables, 2) suck the boss off during my lunch break. I don’t know why they arrested him, though. He was a little rough, but he never forced me. He just said that I’d lose my job if I didn’t cooperate. Okay...maybe that could be seen as force because I needed the job. I didn’t really  _ **_need_ ** _ the job towards the end, though. I had already been fired from my two other jobs, which made having the third one kind of useless. I was too beat up and tired to pleasure the other two bosses, though, so they both sacked me. Mr. Mazuki was kinder than them. It wasn’t bad luck that got me in those positions, though, Seto. I walked into those three jobs knowing exactly what would be asked of me.  _

_ Are you still reading this? I’d be surprised if you are. I would’ve chucked it by now. I guess, in death, even a whore’s last words could be seen as important. Or maybe I am not a whore. Looking back, everything I did was for nothing. Every table I waited, every boss I pleasured, every pleading and groveling I ever did to get or keep a job was just...for nothing. So, I sold myself for nothing. I think even a whore would look down on me at this point. The day I found out I was going blind, I walked around the streets for a bit, just enjoying the scenery. I knew there was nothing I could ever do to afford the surgery, so I guess you could say I was wallowing.  _

_ It was there that I met Sakura. She was just the most wonderful person in the world. Everyone else thought I was just a stupid mutt. She was the first one to ever really hear me out and comfort me. She took me seriously, and she was a whore. So I guess being a whore doesn’t take one’s soul away like I had originally thought. Maybe that’s how I justified doing what I was doing. I don’t think I even thought about it. I just knew I had to do it. She said she could get me something at a couple of places so I could make enough, but that the managers would need ‘extra incentive’ to hire me, and I said okay. I needed 300,000 for the tests, Seto. I was desperate. You have no idea how frantic I was. Losing my sight just wasn’t an option. I know people live blind and go to blind schools and learn blind reading and writing and work blind jobs. But, guess what? They’re rich! They’re all rich and can afford to do all that. They have connections and can call in favors and make the entire world bend to their wills. What did I have? My mother and sister were gone. My friends...Well, I wouldn’t have approached any of them, or anyone else for that matter.  _

_ I was already owned, Seto. My body wasn’t mine. My life wasn’t mine. Even my possessions weren’t mine. Nothing was mine. I know you know how that feels. You never talk about your time in the orphanage, but I can already guess how it was. An uncertain future, infrequent meals, constant paranoia, and just feeling so damn useless and hopeless all the time. Well, I’ve felt that way for the past 19 years and I never wanted to feel that way again. I wanted to be my own person, have my own dreams and my own place and my own life. I couldn’t be indebted to anybody. I just couldn’t. I grovelled a lot in my life, Seto. I was too malnourished to attend gym class and had to beg the teacher to let me rest on countless occasions. He never agreed. I needed teachers to extend deadlines because I was never good at school and doctor to heal me without reporting my abuse and pharmacists to sell me creams for my bruises even though I didn’t have enough and pervert bosses to give me jobs close to my home because, sometimes, I couldn’t even afford bus rides. I needed the cops to not arrest me after I was caught stealing a lock for my door to protect myself from him. I needed so many things, so many times and I could never give anything back. I owed so many people so many things that I began to worry that I would need to sell my soul somehow to pay them back. I had nothing else to give. I guess I had my body, but it was already being auctioned off. It’s in my nature to feel inferior, unwanted, a burden and a bother. I got used to doors being shut in my face and people taking advantage of my weakness and ‘nice’ people turning into absolute monsters when things don’t go their way. I didn’t want to grovel anymore, to feel like I owe anybody anything, or to feel inferior or unwanted. Death would’ve been better than any of that. I needed to be my own person, Seto. I needed to have my life be mine. If I couldn’t...well, then, life wouldn’t really be worth living.  _

_ Do you understand now, Seto? Do you understand why I couldn’t ask you for help? Do you remember that feeling? The feeling of being owned? You wouldn’t want to go back to that, right? No matter what the cost? I guess I’ll never know your answer. You don’t have to forgive me. Just, please, try to understand things from my point of view. I couldn’t stay with you. I want to, more than anything, but I couldn’t stay with you. The surgery cost too much. It was a simple matter. I waited too long to do something about my situation, but I don’t think I could’ve changed anything. I think I’ve already been damaged beyond repair. That’s another reason I didn’t want to ask you for the money. I knew you would leave me eventually. I am surprised you kept me around for so long, to be honest. Maybe you won’t believe me now, but really think about it. Would the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company really wind up with the broken, damaged, abused, money-needing, mutt whore? You might want to say I am overreacting, but, remember, I am a good analyzer and I’ve seen every way our relationship could turn out. With the way things are going, you’re going to resent me eventually. After all, what could I really give you? Nothing. Just like I couldn’t give anything to anyone else.  _

_ Don’t you want a boyfriend who could make love to you without crying his eyes out afterward? Don’t you want a good role model for Mokuba? Don’t you want someone who could actually understand your computer-tech nonsense and help you out with it? Don’t you want someone who could go to your fancy dinner restaurants with you? Well, that could never be me. I thought it could for some time there, but things didn’t really work out in my favor. The way I saw it I could’ve asked you for the money then spent my whole life working to pay your back, or you could refuse to have me pay you back which will make me feel like an owned whore again. The third alternative was this, because I just knew you wouldn’t let me pay you back and I wouldn’t want to kill myself after the surgery and let all that money you spent be wasted, right? I love you, Seto. Maybe that’s cruel of me to say, but I just had to say it. You had to know before you buried me for good. I never wanted you to know any of this, though. I really hope you never get to see this note. I don’t want you to think any less of me. More importantly, I don’t want you to be hurt. But, if you’re reading this now, you’ve somehow found my body. Please don’t try to revive me. A life without sight or a life spent indebt is not really a life. Please don’t hate me. You’ll find someone else. I know you will. You’re the best guy that I know, Seto. You deserve the best.  _

_ \- Jounouchi Katsuya.  _

**_I did have the best._ **

**_I had you._ **

Kaiba looked up at the closed door of the room where his ex-lover was having surgery and exhaled shakingly, feeling an odd burning sensation behind his eyes. He hadn’t cried in years, and it was still a useless thing to do now. He had to find another way of setting things right. 

**_Don’t worry, my poor puppy._ **

**_We’ll work something out._ **

**_I promise you._ **

Just as Kaiba looked down at the pages again, he noticed that the back of them also had writings. There was more. His eyes widened as he read the rest. 

_ You jerk!  _

_ I knew it. I knew that you’d be like the rest of them. I can’t believe I was actually reconsidering my plans for you. I guess I should thank you. You’ve shown me what life would’ve been like with you had I chosen to stay. And it would’ve been the usual: Jou gets hired for a job he isn’t qualified for and the boss forces Jou to do things he doesn’t want to do like STAY AT THE FREAKING SECRETARY POSITION EVEN THOUGH HE CAN’T SEE CRAP! It’s my fault. I should’ve read the damn contract when you gave it to me, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyway. I would’ve signed it even if I knew about this stupid condition. It was the only hope I had of getting the surgery. Ironic, ain’t it? I took a job that was supposed to give me my freedom and now I am your trapped little mutt who has to answer to your every whim. Thanks, Kaiba. I hope you’re happy. I almost hope you find this note so you could realize what a horrible person you are. But, what am I thinking? You wouldn’t care. You don’t care about me or what I want. You’re the one with the money. You have the power and you abused it because that’s just what people like you do to people like me. Fine. I’ll pay my dues. I’ll stay until I literally can’t, but I am not speaking to you. You’ve hurt me more than any of them, you know? At least they were upfront about being plain evil. You had to get my hopes up, though. You had to make me think that you weren’t like them, and then you show me the truth when I am at my worst. I spent the lousy 500,000 on the tests for my eyes. If I hadn’t, I would’ve thrown them in your face and walked out. I guess it doesn’t matter now. Have fun being the devil incarnate.  _

_ \- Jounouchi Katsuya _

Kaiba read over that one multiple times, until his eyes started to hurt. Somehow, this short note written in a bout of anger was way worse than the first, long one where Jou carefully explained everything. That’s because his puppy was right about everything. Kaiba had been a jerk who was abusing his power over Jou. He never thought of it like that. He thought he was preventing the blonde from making a huge mistake. And...okay, maybe Kaiba just didn’t want to see Jou go, so he forced him to stay. If only he had known. 

**‘Y** **_ou’ve hurt me more than any of them, you know?’_ **

**_‘I can’t believe I was actually reconsidering my plans for you.’_ **

**_‘You had to make me think that you weren’t like them, and then you show me the truth when I am at my worst.’_ **

“Mr. Kaiba?” the doctor asked, exiting the room. Kaiba frowned. Why wasn’t he in there doing the procedure? The brunette looked at the clock and realized he’d been re-reading the letter and thinking about everything that had happened between him and Jou for four hours straight. 

“Yes?” he choked out, then cleared his throat, hurriedly folding the papers and stuffing them in his pocket. 

“I am done. He cannot remove the bandages for a week, but I am positive the procedure had worked. He’ll be very thankful.” 

I am not sure that’s true anymore...

“Thank you,” Kaiba said firmly, then unfolded the papers to read them again once the doctor had disappeared inside to move Jou to a ‘patient’s room’. 


	16. The Talk

Jou woke up with his worst nightmare coming to life. Everything was dark, but it wasn’t like the usual flickering out he was used to. This seemed and felt more...permanent. He was crying but he didn’t feel the tears running down his cheeks for some reason. He pulled his hand towards his face and realized there was something covering his eyes. Had his father blindfolded him? It didn’t matter now. He couldn’t hear or sense the man. He needed to finish things before his father attacked him again. His hand instinctively went to his pants pocket, but he found that it was empty. The blonde started to shake in fear. Where was it? He kept it in his pocket at all times. Did his old man take it away? Jou would never be able to find something sharp enough if he couldn’t see. Maybe it was on the floor? He could feel around for it. As soon as the blonde sat up though, he was surprised to find that pain didn’t coarse through his body like usual. He was even more surprised that the bed suddenly touched his back while a weird motor noise ran through the room. What was happening? Where was he? 

“Don’t freak out. It is a medical bed. I am just bending the back so you’d feel more comfortable,” came a familiar voice. Jou whimpered, memories of the precious night...or was it morning? He didn’t know anymore, coming back to him. Kaiba had found him. The CEO had seen...Did he know who the man was? 

“Was...Did you...Where…” the blonde tried to ask, but his words came out choked. He was too afraid. His vision wasn’t coming back and Kaiba was there. He wouldn’t let Jou do anything to himself. He’d try to control him again. Maybe if the blonde bid his time and pretended to be fine with everything he’d eventually find a way to end it. That wasn’t how he wanted to go, though. 

“He got away, but I can have him behind bars in a second if you give me a name,” the CEO said with a calm tone. After a few seconds of silence, after which it was clear that Jou wouldn’t say anything, Kaiba continued “You had the surgery. The doctor says your eyes will be as good as new in a week.” 

Jou’s mouth hung open at that, anger flooding his insides. He started to yell at Kaiba. 

“You...you paid for it?! How could you do that? I’ll never be able to pay you back!” he started, but shut his mouth as soon as he felt Kaiba’s hand cover his own and squeeze it. 

“I was a jerk to you. I apologize. I know I might never be able to make it up to you, but...I didn’t want you to lose your sight. I didn’t know you were in trouble, Jou. And seeing you like that...I wanted to help and protect you. The doctor informed me while I was in shock. It was a preventable loss, so I acted impulsively. That’s not to say I wouldn't have done the same thing again if I could go back. My doctor isn’t a legal one, per say; he didn’t need your confirmation to go through with the procedure, so he took mine. That’s the last time I’ll ever make a decision on your behalf. I simply didn’t want to risk waiting for you to wake up and argue with me about the cost, puppy. You’re too precious for something like this to happen to you. Don’t you realize how much you mean to me? I know I don’t show it, but I fell in love with you and I couldn’t risk you walking away after you woke up and...losing your sight as a result. I had to act quickly. Is there any part of you that understands that?”

Jou deflated at that. Kaiba’s voice held so much emotion and sincerity. But, still…

“I can’t ever pay you back,” the blonde repeated firmly.He didn’t know what else to say. It was the only thing going through his mind at the moment. Kaiba owned him now. He wasn’t free like he wanted to be. He was indebted to another person, one who has already shown that he has a possessive, controlling side. 

“How would you have reacted if Serenity had refused your money? If she let herself go blind because of it? Would you be happy that you got to keep the money?” 

“Of course, not,” Jou snapped. It wasn’t the same though. 

“Did you force her or even want her to pay you back after she had the surgery?” 

“No!” 

“Then why are you being so stubborn?” 

“I don’t know!” Jou said, panting. He didn’t like where this conversation was going. Kaiba didn’t seem to be lying, but what if he was just saying this in the heat of the moment? What if he goes back to being a controlling jerk if Jou gives in? What if he uses this against him later on? The blonde wouldn’t belong to him. He couldn’t. 

“Let’s discuss this more after you get your vision back, alright?” Kaiba asked with a softer voice. Jou found himself nodding absentmindedly, trying to calculate how long it would take him to pay Kaiba the money if he had his old secretary job back. Would the CEO even let him return? He had thoroughly destroyed a project that Kaiba had been slaving over for months. Suddenly, he felt guilty. He needed to make up for that as well. 

“Stop thinking so hard, puppy,” Kaiba murmured and Jou smiled slightly. Even after everything, the brunette could still read him so well. 

* * *

The brunette finally got Jou to agree to drop the subject for a least a week. Jou couldn’t turn Kaiba down when the brunette offered him his old room back at the mansion. He couldn’t exactly go back to his apartment with the door off its hinges, and he was almost certain his father would come back again. Not to mention it was very difficult for him to navigate basic tasks when he couldn’t see anything. 

What Jou didn’t expect was for Kaiba to enter his room the first day with a tray, take his hand, and gently place it on every utensil and item on the tray until Jou had it memorized so he could eat without help. 

“What time is it?” Jou asked when he began to eat and noticed that Kaiba wasn’t leaving the room. 

“It’s 10:00,” the brunette said with a casual voice. Jou choked on a bite of his food. 

“Kaiba, tell me you ain’t missin’ a day of work just to watch me eat,” Jou joked, placing a hand on his chest in emphasis. He heard Kaiba hum. 

“No. I am not missing a day of work to watch you eat. I am not going into the office for a week so I could help you if you need it,” 

Jou turned towards the source of Kaiba’s voice and spoke firmly. 

“I don’t need babysitting, Kaiba. Go do your work. I know it’s the most important thing to you anyways.” 

Jou continued to eat slowly, hoping the brunette would get up and leave. He wasn’t ungrateful. He just didn’t want Kaiba to do anything  **more** for him. The brunette had already done enough. 

“Work is definitely not the most important thing to me. And - and I am not doing this for you,” he heard the brunette say hesitantly. That caught Jou’s attention. He knew what the first part of the brunette’s statement implied, but assumed the CEO was talking about his brother. No matter how weirdly emotional and honest Kaiba has been since Jou’s surgery, the blonde knew that the brunette would never just casually admit that JOU was more important to him than his work. Could he? 

“Who else would you be doing this for?” Jou asked instead. He didn’t want to know the answer to the other question. Kaiba had an unfair advantage right now. Jou couldn’t possibly leave the mansion at all for the week, and, if the last two days at that weird illegal place and today have been any evidence, the brunette was planning on using this week to get Jou to forgive him or get them back together or...something. Jou didn’t know what the brunette wanted to accomplish by being so nice, but it was working. Jou found himself slowly enjoying the CEO’s presence again. He didn’t want that. He wanted to be pissed at Kaiba. He had a right to be. 

“I am doing it for me. I feel guilty, Jou. I never should’ve forced you to stay at Kaiba Corp when you clearly didn’t want to.” 

“I don’t think you need to make up for that, rich boy. I already cost ya company billions. Did you forget?” Jou said hurriedly. He wanted the conversation over with. Kaiba was being genuine and that was weird. Why was he being so nice to Jou? When would the other shoe drop as it always did? What the hell was happening? What could the brunette possibly want that he would be willing to be this...vulnerable. 

“It didn’t,” he heard the CEO whisper. Strangely, Jou felt relieved. At least he hadn’t made a colossal mistake. Maybe Kaiba would be open to him getting his old job back. 

Do I even want to be his secretary while he’s being this weird? 

_ He wants something.  _

_ And I have nothing to give.  _

_ Less than nothing.  _

_ I even owe him millions.  _

_ That combination doesn’t work.  _

_ I need that job, though.  _

_ I’ll never be able to pay him back without it!  _

“Did you find a new secretary who fixed the mistake then?” Jou asked, deciding to dip his toe in the water. 

“No. The email was never sent in the first place. Kaiba Corp has a strict filtration system. They send me alerts whenever one of my employees is doing something suspicious. You have no idea what other companies would be willing to do to get their hands on one of my product designs.” 

“What? You mean to tell me that you humiliated me in front of everyone for no damn reason?!” Jou snapped, quickly putting the tray aside and jumping out of bed. He stomped his way over to where he was sure he heard Kaiba’s voice from. 

“You’re lucky I can’t see right now or I’d be beating the crap outta ya. Is this what you’ve been buttering me up for these past few days?” he yelled in Kaiba’s face only to feel a hand turning him to face the other way and felt Kaiba’s breath on his face. He had been yelling at an empty chair. He must have looked like a fool. 

“I thought you had done it on purpose,” he heard Kaiba whisper. Jou did a double take but otherwise stayed silent. He was more furious than confused. So furious. Finally, Kaiba sighed and continued “you seemed so eager and willing to get away from me and, when I told you you had to stay, you were so mad and moody. I thought you sabotaged the company on purpose. I-I thought you hated me and wanted to leave me enough to risk Kaiba Corp.” 

Jou felt like he had been slapped in the face. How could Kaiba ever think he would do that? 

“Tell the driver to take me home,” he said with a low, cold tone. 

“Jou…”

“No!” he snapped, “If you meant what you said about not trying to control me anymore, you’ll tell ‘em to take me home now. If you think I could ever do that to you, then you clearly think very low of me.” 

“W-what was I supposed to think, Jou?” Kaiba suddenly yelled. It was the first time he had raised his voice since Jou’s surgery, “we were- we were fine one second and- and then we had one lousy freaking fight and you just- you just stop talking to me and demand that you resign? I-I thought it was a joke at first. I mean, no one gets that upset that fast. But you did and you didn’t even tell me why and you wanted to leave me forever. I don’t work well with illogical matters, Jou.I needed to understand it. I needed to make sense of it because none of it made any sense unless you didn’t care about me enough to begin with. I understand that you didn’t want me to know because I would’ve offered to pay for the surgery. Of course, I would've. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I didn’t, alright? But- but if I could forgive you for lying to me about something so...and-and you wanting to leave me with no explanation and not even giving me a chance to change your mind…so you wouldn’t...so you wouldn’t...” 

“Go blind?” Jou finished after a few seconds of silence with the only sound in the room being Kaiba’s heavy breathing. Was the brunette having a panic attack? 

“Yes,” the CEO choked out, his voice sounding further away from Jou than it initially was. 

“Kaiba are you alright?” Jou asked the whole room, unable to tell where the brunette was or why he moved away. 

“I’m fine,” came the hoarse reply, “I was just trying to say that if I could forgive you for keeping that from me, then you can forgive me for everything that happened as a result.”

Jou frowned slightly. The brunette was trying to hide it, but he was definitely crying or near tears. He wouldn’t be faking that, right? What would be the purpose? Everything he was saying was true. Jou couldn’t claim otherwise. Now that he thought about it, he couldn’t really blame Kaiba all that much for how the brunette reacted. It was completely understandable. Suddenly, Jou felt guilty as well. 

“I forgive you. And - and I’m sorry too…” he said, choosing not to call attention to the brunette’s distress. Kaiba wouldn’t like that. Jou did want to distract him, though. He continued “I had no idea me not losing my vision meant so much to ya, but I am fine now. I don’t want you to miss any work because of me.” 

“I’m not missing anything. I was on my laptop when we started this conversation,” Kaiba said after he regained his composure. Jou jumped when he found that the brunette was suddenly right next to him, holding his arm and leading him back to the bed, “perhaps you should finish breakfast.” 

Jou stubbornly shook his head, trying to find the source of the brunette’s voice so he could face Kaiba. He couldn’t wait for these stupid bandages to come off. 

“Oh please, I woulda heard that annoying typing noise a hundred miles away. I know you weren’t working earlier” Jou said, glad the atmosphere around them was less tense now. He heard Kaiba’s hum of approval. 

“You’ve complained about it enough times that I went out and bought one that makes no such noise.” 

Jou burst out laughing at the thought of Kaiba throwing his old laptop in the dumpster just because of one annoying little feature. 

“Yeah. That sounds about right,” he got out between laughs. His heart dropped when he heard the bedroom door close. Did he just somehow offend Kaiba? Was the brunette going to turn into a silent jerk again now that he had Jou’s forgiveness. 

The blonde breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the door open and close again. He refrained from saying anything, afraid he might somehow upset Kaiba again and cause him to leave. 

“If you find me buying the other device so unnecessary, then you won’t mind me working on this one for the next week,” Jou heard Kaiba say, then felt the brunette sit right next to him on the bed then type away with an annoying clicking sound. The blonde groaned and pressed his hands to his ears. 

“Ay, Kaiba, either you bring that fancy-shmancy silent one back here or one of us is going to be forced to leave the room and it ain’t going to be me,” Jou said firmly, then smiled when he heard Kaiba chuckle then leave the room to get the other device. His heart was content, but his mind wasn’t. Now that Kaiba was gone, Jou finally had enough time to do the math. If he was right, it would take the blonde  **20 years** of work to pay Kaiba back and that’s only if Jou never spends a single dime on himself. 


	17. Promise

Kaiba stayed home every day to help Jou out with everything. What he said to Jou was true. He wasn’t doing this for the blonde, but it wasn’t because he felt guilty, either. The truth was: Jou’s note haunted Kaiba and the brunette couldn’t get it out of his head. 

**_‘it’ll be easier to leave knowing I am not wanted, because that’s how I always felt before I met you.’_ **

**_‘I think even a whore would look down on me at this point.’_ **

**_‘An uncertain future, infrequent meals, constant paranoia, and just feeling so damn useless and hopeless all the time.’_ **

**_‘Well, I’ve felt that way for the past 19 years and I never wanted to feel that way again.’_ **

**_‘I didn’t want to grovel anymore, to feel like I owe anybody anything, or to feel inferior or unwanted.’_ **

**_‘Death would’ve been better than any of that.’_ **

**_‘I needed to be my own person, Seto. I needed to have my life be mine. If I couldn’t...well, then, life wouldn’t really be worth living.’_ **

**_‘I think I’ve already been damaged beyond repair.’_ **

**_‘I knew you would leave me eventually.’_ **

**_‘Would the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company really wind up with the broken, damaged, abused, money-needing, mutt whore?’_ **

**_‘With the way things are going, you’re going to resent me eventually. After all, what could I really give you? Nothing. Just like I couldn’t give anything to anyone else.’_ **

**_‘I wouldn’t want to kill myself after the surgery and let all that money you spent be wasted, right?’_ **

**_‘A life without sight or a life spent indebt is not really a life.’_ **

  
  
  


The brunette was determined to help Jou stop feeling like a burden, to prove to the blonde that Kaiba was committed, that the CEO would do everything for him. Jou would never have to ask for anything ever again. Kaiba would just deliver. He’d do whatever it takes. He didn’t want to lose his puppy. 

The other reason wasn’t really one. It didn’t make any sense, but Kaiba felt it deep within his heart. He was too afraid to leave Jou alone. What if the blonde was still suicidal? If he had been hiding so many things during their relationship, maybe he was still hiding his pain from Kaiba now. That’s why Kaiba was staying for the both of them. He’d help Jou while reassuring himself that his puppy wouldn’t come to any harm. 

The blonde was reluctant at first, especially when Kaiba insisted he help him shower. But the brunette had kept lisiting every reason firmly. 

“You might fall and hurt yourself.” 

“You can’t even see where the soap is.” 

“You might touch a wound.” 

“It’s only for a week.” 

“I won’t look.” 

After he said that last one, Jou seemed to relax more and let Kaiba help him with everything. True to his words, the brunette didn’t peek. He blind-folded himself as he helped Jou bathe then carefully handed the blonde his clothes and only took off the blindfold when Jou said it was alright. Then, he walked his puppy back to his bed and kept him as entertained as he could, letting Mokuba play with Jou whilst Kaiba tapped away at his laptop. 

Things were a little awkward at first when him and Jou were alone. It was like the start of their relationship, when they weren’t sure what to say to each other. But they got over it quickly and were soon chatting about silly things, carefully avoiding the topics that made their chests clench. 

Kaiba didn’t want Jou to know he had seen the note. He didn’t want things to be any more awkward than they had been at first. After a few days passed, though, he just didn’t know how to bring it up, and, frankly, he didn’t want to. What would be the point? Jou would be humiliated by what Kaiba had discovered and that wouldn’t really accomplish anything. There were a million questions flooding Kaiba’s mind, though, but he didn’t dare ask them. Everything would be answered in time and he knew Jou was at a disadvantage while waiting for his eyes to heal. Once the blonde could see again, Kaiba was certain their conversations would be more relaxed even if the topics were uncomfortable. If Jou wanted some space after them, he could have it. Now, though, Jou was too vulnerable for Kaiba to ask. So, the CEO carefully bid his time, waiting for Jou to be able to get back on his feet. There was one thing he was sure of, though: never again would he let his puppy walk away without a fight or at least a conversation. 

* * *

Kaiba held his breath as Jou carefully removed the bandages covering his honey-colored eyes. The doctor said it might take a few days for his eyes to return to normal, but the CEO knew that Jou’s mood would plumet if he didn’t get to see right away. The blonde tended to assume to worst, not that Kaiba could blame him with what he had gone through.

As Jou opened his eyed and blinked a couple of times, hissing at the sudden intrusion of the light, Kaiba smiled widely. He could see! When the blonde’s gaze fell on Kaiba and his puppy gave him one of his goofy smiles, Kaiba didn’t really think his next move through. He immediately latched their lips together, kissing Jou with a passion that he had never felt before he met the blonde. He was so eager that he didn’t even notice that his puppy was unresponsive until a few seconds had already passed. As soon as he realized Jou’s lips weren’t moving and that the blonde was frozen in place, Kaiba hurriedly pulled away and took a step back, looking a the floor in shame. 

**_Idiot!_ **

**_That was the worst thing you could’ve done!_ **

**_Well, not the worst thing, but it wasn’t good._ **

**_Now, he’ll think you expect things from him._ **

**_Ok. Ok. Damage control._ **

“I’m sorry. I don’t expect anything from you,” Kaiba said, attempting to sound calm and sincere, but the words came out forced instead. He felt a hand on his cheek and looked up. Jou was looking at him with loving eyes and a shy smile. 

“I really want to, Seto. I do...But I-I owe ya too much. I-”

“You can work it off. I haven’t gotten another secretary yet. Thejob is yours if you want it,” Kaiba said instantly, cutting Jou off. The blonde looked very surprised by the CEO’s suggestion, and Kaiba didn’t blame him. Had his puppy said the same thing at the beginning of the week, Kaiba would’ve just kept insisting that Jou didn’t need to pay him back. Now, though, Kaiba was prepared. He had read Jou’s note thoroughly and saw this conversation coming a mile away. He had thought of every single response, question, and problem that would arise and every single way Kaiba could fix it so Jou wouldn’t be ‘indebted’ to him for too long. The brunette had surprised even himself with how much effort he was putting into his plans to to fulfill Jou’s needs. The puppy had truly stolen his heart. 

“I would like that, thank you, but I can’t be with ya in the meantime, I am sorry. And - and since it will take like twenty years…” Jou started, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly and pouting in the most adorable way. Kaiba smiled. He had seen that coming as well. 

“You won’t just be my secretary this time, puppy,” Kaiba said, pulling his breifcase off the floor and putting it on his lap. He pulled out a bunch of papers and handed them to Jou, who raised an eyebrow at him, “These are the weekly paychecks for all positions in my home/company. I’ll still need you as my secretary, but with your smart scheduling, you could have a lot of free time, during which you could pick a position and work the minimum shifts or more. And, as you can see, I am  **very** generous with what I pay my workers. It wasn’t just my secretary who had a good deal.” 

Jou’s jaw dropped as he saw the number and Kaiba smirked internally as his puppy nodded enthusiastically and continued scanning the many rows of the papers, figuring out what he could do and what jobs would help him make the most money. 

**_You’re going to be fine, Jou._ **

**_I am going to make sure of it._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that’s the end of the first part. The second part will probably be out within a month and will have the same posting schedule. I hope you’ve all enjoyed it so far! 


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